Code of the Gryffin
by Knife Hand
Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war. Chapter 30 now up
1. Prologue

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or....... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

The glow was eerie, with the pail red of the overhead combat lights, the light green tint of the monitors and the washed out orange of the visor display. Combined with the constant rumble of the engines and the random swaying as the Command APC sped across the vast, broken expanse of the battlefield, it almost felt like home to the compact armoured figure sitting in the command station.

"Grand Marshall, report coming in from Echo Sector." One of the technicians said from the monitoring station.

"Patch it through to my display." The armoured figure ordered, tuning out the nervous, rhythmic tapping of the foot of one of the bodyguards.

A crackle in the armour's speakers and the helmet's display changing to a split screen indicated the connection to Echo Sector. One side of the display showed the face of a trooper, their face darkened by dirt and trickles of blood, while the other showed an overhead view of the sector, with blue markers indicating friendly forces and red indicating enemy forces.

"Third army, Echo Sector, go for Grand Marshall Potter." The tech said.

"Potter here." The armoured figure said, voice distorted by the helmet's com system.

"Grand Marshall. Master Sergeant Wilks. The Third has suffered massive casualties, all senior offices KIA or incapacitated. In danger of being overrun. Require immediate assistance. Requesting Orbital Bombardment. Over."

"Request denied on Orbital. All ships currently out of range of your sector, current orbits have the next window in fifty minutes. Am re-routing Sixth Army into your position. ETA Thirty-Five minutes." The Grand Marshall ordered.

"Understood." The Sergeant replied, her face now set to an even more grim expression.

"Grand Marshall, We have reports from the 88th Artillery regiment. They are almost in range. They are moving into position now. Nine minutes to fire for effect. Six if they have accurate co-ordinates." A second technician reported.

"You catch that Wilks?" Potter asked.

"Rodger. Tell them to bring it down on my beacon. Dip, Dip, Dee, Dip." Wilks said.

A moment of silence filled the command APC. Everyone knew that Wilks was sacrificing herself.

"Good luck, Sergeant." The Grand Marshall said.

Wilks nodded before turning from the camera. "Sergeant West. Take command. Set up the Bombada Cannons on the left flank. And get me two Volunteers."

"Patching 88th through to third now."

The video link image went to static before the tactical map filled the display. The troops of Third Army reducing to a single icon and the icon of Sixth Army began moving to support Third.

"Bring Fourth up to cover Second's assault on Gamma Sector. Inform First they have to cover another thirty five miles of their front. Have the Luna shift orbit to cover Echo Sector." The Grand Marshall ordered.

"Mobile command to the Luna Lovegood, Come in. Over."

The low hum of the activity in the command vehicle surrounded the Grand Marshall, interspersed with orders being issued and the occasional deep thumbing of the turret guns firing

"Found Him!" one technician said cutting through the activity of the command team, bringing silence. "Coordinates displaying."

"Is this confirmed?" Potter barked.

"Affirmative. We have eyes on target. Slytherin Snipers identified the target but have no clear shot."

Potter smirked under the helmet. Slytherins, always devious, but now finally honourable.

"I want coms with the Slytherin who has eyes on." Potter ordered, then heard a click on the headset "Report."

"Corporal William Malfoy. Confirmed target from briefing Intel. Sending confirmation imaging." The Sniper said.

An image came on several of the monitors of the Dark Lord. The image was a long shot, and the image showed lots of obstructions but the face was clear through a window.

"Window shot is not an option." William continued. "Deflection is not a problem but it's armoured and warded. Anti-armour rounds don't have the magic to breach the wards and the Wardbusters can't get through the armour."

"Status on the location."

"It's a Fortress. Limited entries, expected high number of targets inside." Malfoy concluded.

"Gather in what Gryffindor and Slytherin forces are available. Converge them and us on the target. Transfer overall Strategic command to Ravenclaw elements. Move us in people."

Just as Slytherin units were the elite of the scouts and snipers in the Order of the Griffin, the Gryffindor units comprised the most elite of the combat cores. The Ravenclaw corpse were the strategic and intelligence experts. Hufflepuff were the heart of the Order's Logistics and Supply corpse. The Four Houses at last acting in harmony towards a single goal.

"Malfoy. Keep eyes on target as long as possible. Convergence of forces expected in twenty minutes. Report immediately if there is any major changes or if you lose eyes on."

"Rodger."

'Maybe this will finally finish it.' Grand Marshall Potter thought wearily. 'May this be the last Dark Lord.'

* * *

The command APC came to a halt behind a row of small hills a few miles from the fortress. The rear ramp lowered and the Grand Marshall exited, followed by five bodyguards, all in combat armour similar to the Grand Marshall's, but in simple red with a yellow trimming, instead of the dark mahogany red and muted, burnished gold of their leader.

The Grand Marshall was casually holding a sleek and powerful assault rifle, while an equally deadly pistol holstered at one hip and an ancient broadsword, with a long list of might deeds, including the slaying of a powerful dark snake in an underground cavern, sheathed at the other hip.

A few other APC's had arrived and were parked nearby, disgorging their armoured Gryffindors, who wore armour similar to the Grand Marshall and the bodyguards (who were drawn from the Gryffindor units) over the simpler armoured vests and helmets of the Army units.

"Grand Marshall." A voice called from the edge of the marshalling area.

Five figures in black armour, much lighter than the Gryffindor armour, but also much quieter, approached, the lead figure had removed the ski mask style hood to reveal platinum blonde hair and vibrant green eyes.

"Malfoy." Potter nodded with respect.

"I lost eyes on two minutes ago." Malfoy began with the most important item. "All exits are covered by teams and scans indicate no evidence of secret escape routs. Two teams managed to infiltrate the fortress seven minutes ago. They are scouting the way."

"Well done, Corporal. I want the teams to begin infiltrating as the exits get covered by Gryffindor units."

"Yes, Sir."

"Dismissed."

William Malfoy donned his ski mask style headgear and his team activated their stealth fields, and seemed to vanish. The stealth fields did not actually make you invisible, they just emitted a combination of a magical 'don't notice me' ward and a subtle blurring of light that made people's eyes just slide past the wearer.

As the unseen Slytherins departed, more and more APC's were arriving and preparing for the assault to come.

* * *

The massive blast resulted from the 'wall breaker' High Explosive rounds of three Battle Tanks firing from almost point blank range, blasting the massive main portal doors off their hinges and flying into the main entrance hall of the fortress. Within seconds the doors were followed by fast moving APC's whose cannon mounts sprayed the area in suppressing fire, wether there was an enemy there or not. The APC's screeched to a holt at the far end of entry hall, unable to go further and having done their job of crossing the distance to the fortress as quickly as possible.

The Gryffindors emerged and began fanning out into the fortress. A few came under gun fire or spells, but their armour was able to stand up to most of the fire and either absorb or deflect most of the spells. Still, despite their armour, Gryffindors still fell to enemy fire. One of the Grand Marshall's bodyguard died when an explosive round found a chink between the breastplate unit and helmet. Her head simply vanished. But for every Gryffindor that fell, so did many of the Dark Lord's followers.

While the Gryffindors swept through the lower levels of the fortress, the Slytherins were stealthily stalking the upper levels, taking out whatever small forces they came across that they could without drawing too much attention.

William Malfoy and his four teammates were moving along one of the upper corridors, when they heard voices. When they reached the door they saw the Dark Lord and a number of his followers.

"Malfoy to Grand Marshall. Dark Lord located. Sixth Level, South West Corridor. Sending coordinates."

As soon as he received a confirmation beep, Malfoy switched off his com set. After a quick glance at his teammates, and their silent ascent, they went in. Five minutes later, Malfoy was the only Slytherin left alive in the room, and he was bleeding badly as he was held kneeling in front of the Dark Lord. Twenty of the Dark Lord's followers had been killed in the attack before William's team had been killed.

"You are a Malfoy. Why do you fight me? Your family was once one of our most trusted servants." The Dark Lord asked.

"The biggest mistake in my family's history. I would rather die than serve you." William declared.

"So be it." The Dark Lord replied.

The sword penetrated William's lighter armour and pierced his heart, killing him instantly. As William hit the floor, the door burst open to reveal the Grand Marshall and the four remaining bodyguards.

* * *

The Grand Marshall stood over the body of the latest Dark Lord, his armoured but now headless corpse still gripping both a wand and a sword. Blood spattered Potter's compact but powerful armour and the armour was chipped and pitted from bullets, spells and close combat blades. Blood also dripped from the point of the sword held casually in the right gauntleted fist. Bodies, weapons and expended shell casings littered the floor. The last of the Grand Marshall's bodyguards pulled himself out of the room calling for a medic from the approaching Gryffindors, a blood trail stretching out behind him. For a moment Potter was alone.

"Another Dark Lord down. Congratulations." Came a voice from nowhere, before a mildly handsome man in a business suit appeared.

"Is it done?" Potter asked, head cocked slightly to the side but not really looking at the new man.

"Except for the mop up, yes." The man replied. "Voldermort's line is finished."

"Why so long? Why not when it happened?"

"Because you had to finish it. If you fail, it reverts to this."

The Marshall turned and approached the man, clearly angry, the armoured hand tightening its grip on the sword and the red glowing optical sensors boring into the man.

"All the worlds, all the death. All a backup plan?"

"You knew what was required when we made the deal." The man pointed out.

"But ten thousand years?!?" The Marshall reached up and removed the helmet.

The dark brown hair reached the shoulder guards and the hazel eyes bored into the Angel guised as a Man.

"Look, Mione." The now nervous Angel said.

"Only one person is allowed to call me Mione, and he died ten thousand years ago. Now keep your promise, Seraphim, on the Creator will have to find another messenger. Send me back to save Harry."

"Fine."

A wave of energy enveloped Hermione, and the Grand Marshall of the Order of the Griffin disappeared.

TBC


	2. Chapter 1

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or....... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

"Hermione, Breakfast." Jane Granger called from downstairs.

"Coming Mum." Hermione called back.

Hermione finished her last set of chin-ups and dropped from the bar. Sweat soaked her training clothes and darkened her hair, which she had pulled back into a ponytail. Grabbing a towel she wiped her face and, slinging the towel over her shoulder, went downstairs for breakfast.

In the two weeks since her arrival, Hermione had been training and waiting. She had arrived in this timeline the morning after her return from Second Year. Her training had been accepted by her parents as she had always wanted to do martial arts and they had been discussing the possibility of lesions when she had gotten her Hogwarts letter, the waiting was for something specific, something she had laid the groundwork for. Hermione sat down to her breakfast. Not the bacon and eggs that she used to have, but fruit, yogurt, toast and orange juice. The breakfast conversation was light, and she only paid partial attention, her mind occupied by a hundred other details and painful memories, when a phrase from the television broke through everything.

"To repeat, the police have released information that a terrorist by the name of Sirius Black has escaped from prison. Black was responsible for the bombing of a street in Wells twelve years ago. Police warn that Black is armed and dangerous and urges members of the public not to approach Black. Any sightings should be reported to…"

"Its time." she said, dropping her spoon and hurrying upstairs.

After a quick shower, Hermione opened an unassuming chest in the corner of her room and walked down into the room contained within. The room was almost an exact replica of her old quarters aboard her flagship 'Might of the Fallen'. Moving over to a pair of the display cases she opened the one on the left and removed a sleek black set of clothing, the gloves and head peice, which looked like a ski mask with goggles, were placed in a small bag made of the same material as the clothes. After quickly dressing in the stealth combat suit, which left only her head and hands exposed, snatched a pair of daggers from the case, slipping them into sheaths in the sleaves of her suit. She glanced at the compact assault rifle before shaking her head and closing the case. Her eyes landed briefly on the other case before she turned and left. It was not yet time for that armour.

Exiting the chest, Hermione went to her normal cupboard and put a pair of denim jeans, a long sleave blouse and boots on over the combat suit. Keeping her hair loose, like Harry would remember it, she went downstairs and joined up with her parents, who lead the way to the car.

* * *

The farmstead had stood abandoned for over a decade, and even before that it was used only sporadically by to owner, but always with amazing results. The entire farmstead was completely still with the exception of two feral chickens who were scratching through the dirt and a still heat haze rose off the hard packed clay of the farmyard, more reminiscent of South Africa or the Australian Outback than south east England. The stillness of the farm was broken by the arrival of a lean black dog, which sent the two feral chickens running.

The dog cautiously crossed the deserted farmyard as storm clouds rolled in quickly from the horizon. As the sky darkened the dog abandoned its caution and ran across the yard, but before it reached the stables the skies opened and the entire area was shrouded in a torrential downpour. The heavy rain and intermittent lightning turned the farmyard into a series of snapshots. In the few seconds between lightning strikes the dog that had been almost to the stable disappeared, in its place stood the frozen image of a man, with unkempt black hair and a gaunt physique pushing on the stable door, before the lightning faded and the yard was once again blanketed in darkness.

Inside the stable light bloomed from four lamps, each seeming to light on its own. The man made a search of the stable, making a point to check each and every stall, wand held at the ready. Once he was satisfied he was alone, he slumped down in a stall and let out an exhausted sigh.

"I would have thought," a voice began in a shadow, resolving into a figure dressed from head to toe in black, "That after twelve years in Azkaban, a mere two days on the run would be easy."

The man sprang upright at the first sound, pointing his wand at the figure.

"You'll have to kill me before you take me." He growled.

"Oh do be serious, Sirius. And if I wanted you dead, you never would have made it across the yard." The figure cocked it head. "Besides, if I kill you, Harry will be very angry. Once he finds out who you really are, at any rate."

"Who are you?" Sirius Black demanded.

"I'm the one who's going to ensure you actually get to be Harry's Godfather."

* * *

"That'll be Marge." Vernon Dersley said as he opened the door. "You're late."

"Well, I didn't know we had an appointment." A male voice said

"Who the hell are you?" Vernon demanded.

There were three people standing at the door, a well dressed couple and their brown haired daughter who was about the same age as Dudley.

"My name is Hermione Granger. We're here to see Harry Potter." The daughter said.

"Oh. You're one of those freaks." Vernon spat.

Pain flared in Vernon's back and neck. Finding himself held by his neck against the stairs by an irate mother was a wholly unprecedented experience for the heavyset man.

"Harry!" Hermione called. "Grab your gear. We're getting out of here."

Harry and Hermione headed upstairs while the husband kept Dudley and Petunia in the front room.

"Don't you ever say anything like that about my daughter. Ever!" growled the wife. "Abuse of a minor, assault. I can have you locked away in a hole so dark that you'll think daylight is a myth."

Harry and Hermione cam back down the stairs carrying Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage.

"You don't ever want to see us again."

The family and the freak left. Then the realisation dawned. The Grangers. That was the Grangers. The most exclusive and influential Dentist in Brittan. Personal Dentist to the Royal Family, the PM and all the other top government and civil service officials.

"Oh Shit!" Vernon whispered.

* * *

Hermione and Harry were heading back toward the Leaky Cauldron, having just finished their school shopping in Diagon Alley, both with their arms loaded with school books and supplies. Hermione also had a cage which contained her 'new' cat.

"We need to talk." Hermione said, just before they entered the back door to the pub.

"Ok." Harry replied.

"Harry! Hermione!" Mrs Weasley called from one of the tables where the Weasley Family was seated.

"Later. Alone." Hermione whispered before the Weasley clan descended.

The Twins were joking with Hermione and Ron was complaining about his pet rat Scabbers having gone missing. Ginny was staring wistfully at Harry until Mr Weasley took Harry off for a little talk. In general it was a typical Weasley dinner. Utter controlled pandemonium. Hermione excused herself as soon as she could and went up to wait in Harry's room. Out of long standing habit, Hermione sat in the corner, the door in front of her and the window to her left, looking out over muggle London. After ten minutes of waiting, Harry finally arrived, and he sat across from Hermione.

"Harry. We need to have a serious talk." Hermione said.

"You're not breaking up with me, or asking me out or anything?" Harry said, slightly nervously. "I just realised how ridiculous that sounds."

"It only sounds ridiculous until you find yourself trap on a spaceship caught in a time dilation field." Hermione said softly.

"What?"

"Nothing. Let me ask you this. Who am I?"

"You are my best friend. Hermione Granger."

"Completely true. Yet wholly inadequate."

Hermione paused for a few minutes, gathering her thoughts.

"This may be hard for you to understand, but I am not exactly the girl you remember. I am from the future." She paused again, taking a drink from the glass on the table to the right of her chair, and looked out the window into muggle London. "We had won the battle but not the war. But there were casualties. Ginny missing for almost a year before we found her body, Neville dead too. Ron badly injured." She trailed off.

"But we won?" Harry asked.

"Sort of. With Voldermort dead, we thought that it was over, but we were wrong. He had a son. The son was smart, in his first move he achieved the unthinkable. He killed you. And the war went on."

Hermione could hear the swell and ebb of the traffic outside the window, punctuated by the horn of a bus. The footsteps and trolley sound of a maid raised and fell as she passed the door. Harry's face, to her practiced eye, showed fear, confusion, sadness, hope, and a myriad of other emotions flashed across. He sat quietly trying to process what he had been told, and Hermione sat quietly to let him.

"Was… Was I happy?" he asked, his voice breaking with nervously and fearfully.

"Yes. I won't lie, there were hard times and a lot of pain, but yes, you were happy. Happily married for ten years. Your final words were that you had no regrets." A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"You were there?"

"Yes. You died in my arms."

A quick knock at the door was immediately followed by Ron.

"Hey. What's going on?" Ron asked, after a quick look at his two best friends.

Hermione looked at Harry and shrugged, letting him make the decision.

"You had better sit down." Harry said to Ron.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 2

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or....... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

"Come on, everywhere else is full." Harry said.

Harry, Hermione and Ron entered the almost empty carriage of the Hogwarts Express. Harry and Hermione sat in the rear facing seats while Ron sat on the door side of the front facing seat, as far as possible from the figure curled up by the window with his cloak pull over him.

"Who is he?" Ron asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Professor Remus J Lupin." Hermione replied.

"You know everything. How does she know everything?" Ron asked, the last to Harry.

"It could be because she's from the future." Harry said, "Or because it is written on his Suitcase."

Hermione sat back, her eyes closed as she half listened to Harry and Ron talk, letting her mind drift and savouring in the absence of that ache of being parted from Harry, an ache that had been so much a part of her for so very long. After a few hours the train shuddered to a stop and Hermione's eyes snapped open.

"We can't be there yet." Ron said.

'Oh shit!' She thought.

She had forgotten about the Dementor on the train. She had not prepared herself. As the cold feeling crept over her, she was pulled into her memories.

* * *

Images flashed through her mind. Blood, death, pain. Countless battles on hundreds of worlds spanning thousands of years.

A coastline so covered with bodies that the water ran red for six months.

A flaming scar through a jungle filled with the smell of burning flesh where a transport had gone down.

Stacking the bodies of friends ten high to create a barricade to hold off the next wave of the enemy.

A single body, face down in a pool, her hair in a halo around her head and an orange sky reflecting in the water.

Then came the most painful memory.

Kneeling in a small garden, the back door of the house open. The remains of a meal sitting on the outdoor table. A bird sang as the sun, now painfully bright, shone down. His head was resting in her lap, his emerald green eyes now lifelessly staring up at her. A fist sized hole in his chest. One hand absently running through his hair, while the other clutching at her abdomen. That should have been a protective hand, not one trying to stem bleeding and feeling her future seep through her fingers. Something glinted off his hair, and she tried to brush it away, but it moved with her hand. Distractedly she decided it did not matter, he would fix it when he woke up.

With a mental discipline that even Dumbledore would have been amazed at, the part of her mind that recognised that this was a Dementor's influence, stopped the memory in its tracks. Knowing she needed her most powerful memory she focused on the three words she had spoken only minutes before this disaster.

* * *

"Expecto Patronum." She whispered as the Dementor entered the cabin.

The silver mist spouted from her wand and coalesced into a form. Every recorded full bodied Patronus in history was in the form of an animal. This one however was in human form, encased entirely in armour that resembled a medieval Knight, completed with a long sword and kite shield, the figure made a slash at the Dementor which fled the compartment. When the Patronus reached the door, it looked left then right and then did the second impossible thing. It split in two, one taking the left and the other the right. The sliver glow faded as the figures moved down the train and finally faded completely, accompanied by a slight sigh by Hermione.

"Here, have some chocolate." A voice said from behind them.

The trio turned to look at the now awakened Professor Lupin, who handed them all chocolate, while warily eyeing Hermione.

"Now I must speak to the driver." Lupin said, once he had made sure they all had their chocolate, and he exited the room.

"No questions." Hermione ordered.

Ron nodded enthusiastically while Harry sat, quite by contemplative.

The three words she had focused on ran in her mind. 'Harry, I'm pregnant.'

She absently rubbed her hand over her abdomen, along the now non-existent scar. That attack had ended that dream forever. Killed her husband, killed her baby. 'Unable to conceive due to extensive scar tissue intrusion' had been what the doctors and medi-witches had concluded in the aftermath, not that it had really mattered with Harry dead.

Things would be different this time around. She would save him, whatever it took.

* * *

Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville hopped out of the carriage as it pulled up in front of the castle.

"Harry. Can I have a word." She said, patting the Thestral that had pulled the carriage.

"What is it, Mione?" Harry asked.

Her heart skipped a beat. It was the first time he had called her Mione since she had come back. She revelled for a second but then brought herself back to what needed to be done.

"Harry, be wary of Professor Dumbledore." She said.

"Why? Isn't he helping us?" Harry said confused.

"Harry. Both Dumbledore and I have two major immediate goals. To defeat Voldermort and to keep you alive. I would never sacrifice the second to achieve the first. He would, in a heartbeat, if it even occurred to him that it was an issue. He may even be planning on it."

"Why would he do that?" he asked, confusion in his eyes.

"Why would he leave you with the Dersleys?" she said, and saw she struck a nerve. "He is trying to help, in his own way. Just be careful to consider if what he asks is good for you, because he may not have."

Harry nodded and then went inside and through to the Great Hall. As she mounted the entrance steps, Hermione saw Professor McGonagall heading towards her.

"I'm dropping Divination and Arithmancy." Hermione said as the professor approached, and proceeded into the Great Hall for Dinner.

As she entered the Great Hall she saw Harry and Ron facing off against Draco and his two lackeys, Crab and Goyle.

"Heard you fainted on the Train." Draco sneered.

"Heard you pissed yourself when the Silver Warrior came." Harry replied.

Goyle tried to throw a heavy haymaker at Harry but the blow never landed. In less than two seconds, Goyle went from on the offensive to on his knees with his arm wrenched painfully behind his back.

"Back off Draco. Unless you want to die." Hermione growled, as she pulled on Goyle's arm.

Draco saw the look in her eye and backed off, so Hermione let Goyle go. Draco and his goons went back to the Slytherin table as they proceeded to the Gryffindor table. The rest of the welcoming dinner proceeded as normal.

* * *

Hermione stood and stared at herself. Or more accurately, her selves. The three Hermione's stood in a room that seemed to be part military command centre, part library and part living room. The centre of the room contained a massive holographic table, now switched to standby mode and covered with papers, and a series of monitors in a cluster suspended above. Off to one side of the room was a wooden desk ringed by chairs and surrounded on three sides by towering bookshelves, while the other side of the room had several comfortable chairs, a coffee table with a few magazines on it and a television.

The three Hermione's were as different as the sections of the room they inhabited. In the library sat the thirteen year old Hermione, dressed in her Hogwarts uniform with her hair still frizzy and her eyes filled with innocence. The living room area was occupied by an older looking Hermione, dressed casually in jeans and a slightly loose white blouse. This Hermione's hair still fell in graceful waves over her shoulders but had none of the unruly volume of her younger self, and she radiated a sense of contentment and love. A shining white gold ring adorned the third finger of her left hand.

In the central area stood the Grand Marshall. Dressed in a clean cut uniform of burnished gold and mahogany red reminiscent of her armour, she stood at the holographic table, hands spread wide on the edge of the table as her eyes surveyed the papers in front of her. Her hair was shorter, barely should length, and kept back in a neat ponytail. A convenience for donning her armour. All three, knew what this place was. It was the dreaming representation of her own mind.

"Was it really necessary to threaten Draco in that way?" Married Hermione asked.

"Yes." The Grand Marshall replied curtly.

"Harry is our friend. We must look out for our friends." Young Hermione added.

"It was a tactical move. Like warning him about Dumbledore." The Grand Marshall replied.

"Yes. Well I agree with you on that one. Dumbledore never thought of the cost. Plus his blind trust is Snape is worrying." Said Married Hermione.

"Never trust a traitor." The Grand Marshall growled.

"Is it enough?" Young Hermione asked.

"I doubt it. Dumbledore always did love to keep information to himself." Married Hermione added.

"In some cases 'need to know' is necessary. Unfortunately the old man was never any good at making the call as to when it was necessary. He used it as SOP, and that is never a good approach." The Grand Marshall summarised.

"What about the Order of the Phoenix?" Married Hermione asked. "Will they be of any use?"

"On the whole, unlikely." The Grand Marshall concluded. "Sirius and Remus will be helpful, so may Tonks be in time, but the rest just cling to their past achievements and are too much under the thumb of the old man."

"Then we have only one choice." Married Hermione concluded.

"The Order of the Griffin?" Young Hermione asked.

"Yes. We will have to form it now." The Grand Marshall concluded.

Married Hermione and Young Hermione nodded and made their way to the holographic table. On the table all the previous documents disappeared, replaced by four stacks of folders.

"Let's get to work. Everyone take a dossier, I want this whittled down to a few good candidates before we wake up." The Grand Marshall ordered.

"What about the Slytherins?" Young Hermione asked.

"Review them. I don't hold out any hopes that they will fit the bill but we won't rule the out just because they are Slytherin."

The three Hermione's got to work on selecting the core of a new force that could change the face of the planet.

TBC….


	4. Chapter 3

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or....... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

Hermione rose early, as had become her habit. So early in fact that the entire castle was still asleep. Quietly she opened her chest and descended in her chest. The replica of her quarters on her old flagship 'Might of the Fallen' was large and spacious. She ignored the display cases against one wall that held her Gryffindor and Slytherin armour, she also bypassed the large bed and library area where hundreds of books rested, most had not yet been written, quite a few by Hermione herself. She crossed the large rug covering the centre of the room to the wood panel door on the other side. She opened the door and proceeded through. Just like in the real 'Might of the Fallen', the outer side of the door was not wood panelled, it was steel and bore the nameplate 'Grand Marshall'.

The hallway was all hard gunmetal grey and lined with a number of doors down both sides. The first two doors, residing across from each other, were labelled Barrack A and Barrack B. A quick look inside one showed stacked bunks for thirty with a small head and shower at the back. After passing several more Barracks and two large Mess halls, with attached kitchens, she came to a small side corridor witch contained a single door at the end labelled 'Dilation Control'. After a section devoid of doors, she again came across two doors opposite each other, the one on her left labelled 'Armoury' and the one on her right 'Magazine'. Finally Hermione reached the end of the corridor which had three doors. The one on the right was called 'Ready Room', the one at the terminus was labelled 'Disembarkation', an alternate way out of the chest, and the one on the left was the Gym.

She went into the Gym to begin her morning workout. The gym was large and well appointed, with both weights and cardiovascular workout equipment, a large change room and a number of small rooms for specific workout classes. Changing in the change room, which also contained showers, she began her vigorous workout.

* * *

Hermione met Harry and Ron in the entrance hall on their way down to their first Care of Magical Creatures class. Having dropped two subjects Hermione did not need the time turner this time around and had been in Ancient Runes while Harry and Ron had just come from Divination. They proceeded to Hagrid's hut with the rest of the class where the half Giant lead them to a small clearing and revealed Buckbeak the Hypogriff. Hermione glared at Malfoy was they entered the clearing to prevent any disparaging comments. When Hagrid asked if anyone wanted to ride Buckbeak everyone except Harry and Hermione stepped back.

"Well done, Harry, Hermione. Which of you wants to go first?" Hagrid asked.

"You go. Trust me, you'll love it." She whispered to Harry.

"Yeah. I'll go." Harry said.

Harry approached Buckbeak and then went for his ride out across the lake. Upon his return, Draco became his arrogant self and strode up to Buckbeak while everyone was congratulating Harry.

"You're not dangerous." Draco began. "You stupid thing."

The instant Draco had stated talking, Hermione moved. As Buckbeak attacked, Hermione crash tackled Draco.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?!?" Draco yelled at her. "Get off me."

"Ouch." Hermione replied blandly.

"Oh my god. Are you ok?" Harry asked in a panic as she rose to her feet.

Her left shoulder was a mess from Buckbeak's talons.

"I'll take her to Madam Pompfree. Class dismissed." Hagrid said.

Harry and Ron followed along behind Hagrid and Hermione.

"Why did you save that arrogant snot?" Ron asked.

"Trust me, it is better this way." Hermione said, wincing from the pain.

* * *

Hermione, having been quickly and effectively heal by Madam Pompfree, stood at parade rest in front of the Headmaster, who was too ignorant of Muggle customs to note the connotations of the stance.

"I would like to congratulate you on your actions today. Gryffindor will receive fifty points." The headmaster said.

Hermione simply stood silently, marvelling that the old man though he could still buy her off with house points.

"I also wanted to ask you about a rumour regarding an incident on the train." He continued.

"I did not come here to answer your questions." Hermione replied, her voice even and emotionless.

"Excuse me?" Dumbledore said, shocked.

"I came here to retrieve my inheritance, which you are illegally detaining." She replied.

"What inheritance?" the Professor asked, now genuinely confused.

Hermione simply walked over to the shelf where Dumbledore had been storing the Sword of Gryffindor and ran her hand along the blade.

"Hello, old friend." She whispered to the blade, receiving a pulse of warm emotion back.

She hefted the blade in one hand and carried it over to the sorting hat.

"If I may, Julius?" she asked the hat.

"Of course." The hat replied.

She reached inside the hat and retrieved a leather scabbard and belt that perfectly matched the sword. Hermione sheathed the sword in one smooth motion and then belted it to her waist, before returning to face the Headmaster.

"As the magical head of the Gryffindor family, I have been quite disappointed in the way you have manipulated the students here at Hogwarts. Should this continue I will use my right to permanently dismiss you from your post and veto any moves you make to have yourself or someone under you control instated in your place." She said.

"The Gryffindor family has been extinct for the last six hundred years." Dumbledore countered.

"Only in the magical world." She replied. "Think about it. I was a little know-it-all bookworm. Perfect candidate for Ravenclaw, yet Julius put me in Gryffindor. And while any true member of the house could retrieve the sword, only a true heir could retrieve the scabbard. I'll be watching you."

She turned and marched out. Dumbledore went over to the magical school role and checked her entry.

Hermione Jane Granger Potter (Married Harry James Potter September 23rd 2015 – yet to be enforced) Head of the House of Gryffindor, Duchess of Devonshire, Eighth in line for the throne of Great Brittan, Grand Marshall of the Order of the Griffin, Empress of the Eastern Reach.

While the last two titles meant nothing to the Professor, he realised just how much he had underestimated the young witch and how much power she could really command in the Wizarding world.

* * *

"I hereby call this meeting of the Magical Community and Corrections Committee to order." The chairman said in a board tone.

This was expected to be just another routine meeting. Besides the Committee member the only person present was a very junior reporter from the Daily Prophet who had pissed off his editor by spilling coffee down his pants. While the law stated that the committee had to be open to the press, no one was interested and reporters were only sent to the chambers as punishment. That was all about to change.

The doors opened and two new people entered. One was a Goblin from Gringotts and the other was a smartly dressed witch, carrying a leather briefcase.

"How dare you barge in here!" one of the committee members yelled at the pair.

"We dare, Mr Watson, as we are legally petitioned representatives of interested parties in item six of the agenda." The legal witch replied.

"I don't recall authorising any interested party petitions." Watson said with a grin.

"I'm sure you don't as you promptly shoved the paperwork in your third draw and ignored them. However the law states that any petition must be rejected in order to stop the representation, not approved to allow it." The Gringotts Goblin added.

The chairman groaned. Watson liked to play political games but had nowhere near enough political smarts to pull anything off yet had influential relatives, which is why he was relegated to this committee.

"Who are the interested parties you are representing?" the chairman asked.

"The House of Black, The House of Potter and a third house that wishes to remain anonymous at this time." The legal witch stated.

"I represent Gringotts and the investment accounts of the same parties as Miss Harris." The Goblin added.

"May I ask why such noble houses are interested in such a minor case?" the Chairman asked.

"Mr Chairman, May I ask what you have been told about item six?" Miss Harris asked.

"It is the confirmation of the sentence by confession of a Wizard going by Wormtail for the practice of minor dark arts." The Chairman responded.

"Bloody Purebred Wizard scum." Griphook growled.

"He is not talking to you, Chairman." Harris said quickly to avoid confusion. "I move to have item six moved up the agenda to be discussed now."

"May I ask why?" the chairman said with a sigh.

"Because it relates directly to The Dark Lord, the imprisonment of an innocent Lord without trial or charge, the murder of Lord James and Lady Lilly Potter, the death of twelve Muggles and the corruption of high ministry officials." The legal witch said.

"Also the illegal access of Gringotts accounts by high ministry officials and fraud." Griphook added.

"Very well." The Chairman said, stunned.

The previously bored journalist, Whit Johnson, was writing furiously. Scandal, corruption, the murder of Lords. This would get him the front page. Just as everyone thought the shocks would stop coming, the door opened and a messenger came in and delivered a small scroll to Miss Harris. Whit shuddered at the grin that came over Miss Harris' face as she read the message.

"Mr Chairman. I also move for the emancipation and recognition of head of house status of Lord Harry James Potter of House Potter and Duchess Hermione Jane Granger as Ruling Lady of House Gryffindor." The Legal Witch announced.

"Has she drawn the Scabbard?" Griphook asked.

"She has." Miss Harris confirmed.

"The Gringotts acknowledges Duchess Granger as the legal head of house for House Gryffindor. The inactive account will be transferred to her control immediately." The Goblin confirmed.

Around the chamber there was dead silence as Mr Watson fainted, Whit Johnson drooled and the Chairman reached for some antacid tablets.

* * *

"He's been pardoned. Sirius Black has been pardoned." Seamus said as he ran in with a copy of the Daily Prophet.

"What!" everyone around the Gryffindor table, except Hermione, exclaimed.

"That's not all. We have a ruling Lord and Lady among us."

That last comment got the attention of the entire school.

"Here listen." Seamus said and began reading the article. "Yesterday's Magical Community and Corrections Committee was expected to be the same dry show as always, until a Legal Witch, Miss Hailey Harris from the noted White, Hussey and Harris firm and Griphook from Gringotts bank appeared. In the process of one session, these two individuals managed to reveal that a minor corrections matter, the confirmation of sentence of a Wizard confessing to minor Dark Magic was actually an attempt by certain Pureblood, but not noble, families within the Ministry to hide the fact that the Wizard, known as Wormtail, was actually Peter Pettigrew.

"Peter had been presumed dead twelve years go, when Sirius Black confronted him and allegedly blew Peter up after betraying the Lord James and Lady Lilly Potter, parents of Harry James Potter (See page 4 for full profile on Harry) to You-Know-Who. In evidence revealed by Miss Harris, which was withheld from the Committee, Peter had confessed that he was the one to betray the Potters and had faked the explosion, which had killed twelve Muggles. This compelling evidence led to the unanimous decision to pardon Sirius Black, who had been held without trail, and sentence Peter Pettigrew to The Dementor's Kiss. While pardoned of the original crime Black, who escaped from Azkaban a few weeks ago was found guilty of escape, a crime which holds the penalty of two weeks in Azkaban, as no one was ever thought to be able to escape. The two weeks were allocated to time served and Lord Sirius Black is now officially a free man, wherever he is.

"In addition to these stunning revelations, anther event of note occurred in the meeting thanks to the irrepressible Miss Harris and the stern figure of Mr Griphook. The emancipation and confirmation of two third year Hogwarts students as the Head of their Noble Houses. The first was for Harry James Potter, known around the country as The Boy Who Lived, who is now officially Lord Potter, and is recognised as the head of one of the two surviving Great Seven Families (For more information the Great Seven Families, see page 12). With this confirmation, Griphook indicated that there would be a major internal Gringotts investigation, in conjunction with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, relating to the illegal access of accounts by Ministry officials and the lack of communication by the Ministry to Gringotts on the change in legal status of detained and convicted criminals.

"The other confirmation was quite a surprise. Hermione Jane Granger is known throughout Hogwarts by both teachers and students as the brilliant Gryffindor mugleborn witch and best friends with both Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, the youngest son of Arthur Weasley of the Ministry and his wife Molly. What was revealed yesterday is that she is the direct descendant of Richard Gryffindor, grandson of the famed Hogwarts Founder Godric Gryffindor who left the Magical community when he married a Muggle (Full family tree and profile on Hermione Granger on Page 5). In addition to now being Lady Gryffindor, Hermione is also of the Muggle nobility being the Duchess of Devonshire and in line for the Throne of England. With two of our most prominent Noble Houses being headed by these extremely brave and capable young leaders, this reporter is interested to see if they will continue to forge ahead in the political arena or be overwhelmed by the entrenched dogma of the other Family Heads, be they noble or gentry. Here's hoping for the former."

Dead silence descended in the great hall as Shamus finished reading.

"Hey Malfoy. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it!" Ron yelled.

Hermione rose and curtsied to Harry.

"My Lord." She said.

Harry rose and performed a deep bow to Hermione.

"My Lady Duchess."

All of the members of Gryffindor filled past Harry and Hermione, with a bow or curtsy saying "My Lord" and "My lady" by the purebloods or "My Lady Duchess" by the muggleborns or those familiar with Muggle society. Then just to annoy the Slytherins all of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs also filed past.

"One Hundred points from Gryffindor." Snape shouted.

"For what?!?" half the hall shouted.

"Muzzle your dog, Albus." Hermione snapped at the headmaster.

Snape was about to explode when Dumbledore put his hand on the Potions teacher's shoulder.

"Sit down and shut up." Albus hissed at Severus, before raising his voice. "No points will be deducted."

"Lord Potter, Lady Granger. Please report to me after breakfast to obtain access to your private rooms and studies for Family business." Professor McGonagall said, "Now everyone back to your meals."

TBC…


	5. Chapter 4

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or....... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

AN: In response to mwinter1's comment, Hermione is addressed as Lady Granger not Lady Gryffindor as Granger is still her surname (Lady Granger-Potter and Lady Potter are also acceptable). Her full title would be Lady Duchess Hermione Jane Granger of the House Gryffindor.

AN2: Casandra30, the reason she dropped Arithmancy as it because it is the mathematical prediction of the future. As she knows the future and intends to change it then she would not be interested in that class.

* * *

Hermione sat in her private Study going over the books. Far fetched holdings over the length and breadth of the old British Empire, trading companies, investments, institutions. She was going to have to get some help, and a visit to Gringotts as well. As the head of a Noble House, she had her own private rooms, accessible both from the Gryffindor common room and through a secret passageway. With a flick of her quill she delegated the responsibility of several estate managements to a proxy. Hermione was just running through a listing of properties she owned in Australia when a timid knock came on the door that led to the secret passageway.

"Come in, Harry." She called out.

Harry entered the room with a folder full of documents in his hand.

"How did you know it was me?" he asked.

"Well, you, Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster are the only ones who officially know about that passageway, although it would not surprise me if the Twins know. Professor McGonagall would not knock so timidly and Dumbledore would send for me rather than come himself, so it had to be you." She replied, motioning him to sit on the small sofa while she rose and took the single seater in the small lounge area.

"And the Twins?" Harry asked as he sat.

"They would burst in with a shower of wetset fireworks and try and get financing for one of their inventions." She replied. "So what can I help you with?"

"I have no idea what I am doing with any of these." Harry said in a desperate voice, holding up the papers that dealt with his estates as Lord Potter. "I'm still trying to cope with School, let alone all this on top."

"Well, you can delegate a lot of this to proxies. If you want you can keep whoever has been managing them since your Parent's deaths, but if I can recommend, I suggest you use this legal firm for proxies. They have served me well." She said handing over a card.

"White, Hussey and Harris." Harry read.

"Yes. I am represented by Hailey Harris but I hear Rachel Ponting and Julius White are also excellent. They are considering making Miss Ponting a partner. Also find out who your Personal Gringotts Representative is. Most major Houses deal with a single Goblin for all their transactions. House Gryffindor has Griphook."

"I've met him." Harry said.

"Look, we'll go to Diagon Alley and get you sorted out this weekend." Hermione said.

"We can't." Harry replied.

"Of course we can. School Rules state that any Ruling Lord or Lady must be allowed to conduct business in a timely fashion and may leave the castle to do so. The fireplace in here and in your study have floo access to Diagon Alley and about half a dozen other major European Magical Business districts."

"Cool." Harry said, then a chime rang. "Time to get to class."

Hermione rose and went back to her desk, strapping on the Gryffindor sword that was resting against the wall.

"You're wearing a Sword to class?" Harry asked shocked.

"It is the right of…" Hermione started.

"Ruling Lord and Ladies, etcetera." Harry said. "Man, how many other exceptions are there for Ruling Lords and Ladies?"

Hermione handed him a thin book from the shelf behind the desk with a shrug.

"You should think of getting a sword." She said idly. "Besides, it's Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Right. You got a spare?" Harry replied, semi-seriously.

DADA was the most Hazardous class at Hogwarts. Both of the previous teachers had almost gotten Harry killed, one actually trying to kill him and the other by being a monumental prat.

"Oh yeah. Be there at that time." Hermione said, handing Harry another card.

"What's this." He asked.

"A start at winning the War." She replied and walked out.

Throughout the day owls would deliver several such cards to carefully selected students.

* * *

Hermione hung at the back of the class during the lesson about Boggarts, leaning against the back wall with a deadly grace that went unnoticed by the students and noticed but not quite recognised by the professor. Lavender had answered that no one knew what a Boggart looked like, the same answer Hermione had given her first time around, but that is not true. Hermione knew what a Boggart looked like, not that she would ever tell anyone. She was not proud of that day, a day when hatred and fatalism had overridden even the deepest fear.

She watched as each student faced their fear and made a humorous mockery of it. Then Harry came to the front of the room. Hermione moved before she could think, driven by the deep need to protect Harry. The Boggart had barely solidified into a Dementor before she slid between it and Harry with her sword drawn. It was then she realised her mistake. All the Horrors she had seen, and the worst one will now be set loose among the children. The Boggart shifted and solidified into a dark figure out of her nightmares. Dressed in black plate and chain mail, a wicked serrated blade in its hands. The figure stuck, not at her but off to her left. It stuck at Harry. She blocked the blow and stepped back, pushing Harry back with her. She was on the defensive. A flurry of blows went back and forth. Every attack Hermione launched was perfectly countered but at the same time her defence was impregnable.

"Moony. I can't beat this." She growled, stressed.

"Give me space." Professor Lupin growled back. "Everybody back!"

She felt Harry move away from her to the back of the classroom. She blocked another strike and kicked the figure, using the resistance of the impact to throw herself into a back roll. Once she was clear Remus stepped between the Boggart and the students. The Boggart sensed the teacher's deepest fear and changed into the moonrise. The Professor said the spell and turned it into a popped balloon which flew back into wardrobe.

"Sorry Professor. War memories." Hermione said the last so quietly that only the Professor, which his enhanced werewolf hearing, could hear.

"Alright. Class dismissed. Harry, Hermione, please stay a moment." The professor said.

The class filed out. Harry stepped forward from the back of the room while Hermione sheathed the Sword of Gryffindor.

"Would either of you like to explain what just happened?" Lupin asked.

"I am the focal nexus of a class seven temporal incursion." Hermione said.

"That's Hermione speak for 'I am from the future'." Harry added.

"Shut it Potter." She playfully snapped back.

"Yes Harry, I got that. Class five through nine temporal incursions are all backsteps." Remus said.

"I'm impressed." Hermione said. "Most Wizards have no idea what a temporal incursion is, and almost all Muggles think they exist solely in the realm of Science Fiction. So, do you know the criteria for a class seven?"

"Let's see. Backstep obviously. Minimum of twenty year displacement and most critically, it is a replacement jump." Lupin answered.

"Now I see why you were the smart Marauder." Hermione said.

"Um. Replacement Jump?" Harry asked.

"You inhabit your younger body. As opposed to a relativistic linier jump where your body comes back with you, like in the case of a Time Turner." Remus explained.

"Why else do you think Sirius is free?" Hermione asked.

"So you came back to free Sirius?" Remus asked confused. "A Class five would have done for that."

"No. I came back to save Harry." She replied. "And that is all I will say on the matter. Just be glad your innocent friend is free."

Hermione turned to leave, Harry following.

"If there is anything I can do to help…" Remus began.

"I will let you know." She said as they left the classroom.

* * *

Hermione marched through the crowded halls, a small gap opening up in front of her and closing again behind her to allow her unimpeded movement. Like a gap, whispers followed her through the hall as she made her way to Muggle Studies. When she arrived she sat at the back, rather than her usual spot near the front. The Muggle Studies professor was excited as he never had been before. It was not everyday that you had a Ruling Lady in your class, let alone one who was also a Muggle Duchess so he decided to deviate from his usual lesson plan and entertain the class.

"Across a ragged and crater filled patch of French countryside, two muggle armies faced off across no mans land. Darkness filled the battlefield, broken only by the flairs, similar to magical coloured sparks, blossoming in the sky created by the artillery peices. Poisonous gas and explosions made the entire front deadly, even when no one was specifically trying to kill you. Machine guns of the Kiser's army swept the trenches of the British troops and the occasional sniper shot. This was the scene of the last great Muggle war."

"WHAT?!?" both Hermione and Justin Finch-Fletchley, a Hufflepuff with a muggle parent exclaimed.

"Is something wrong?" the professor asked.

"You're saying that the 1914 to 1918 Great War is the last major muggle conflict recorded by magical society?" Hermione demanded.

This had certainly not been covered last time around.

"Yes. Why? Have there been others?" the professor asked confused.

"Just a few." Hermione said sarcastically.

"Like World War 2." Justin added.

"The Cold War."

"Vietnam."

"The Falklands."

"Bosnia."

"Korea."

"A whole bunch between Israel and Jordan or Egypt, or both."

"The Cuban Missile Crisis."

"Afghanistan."

"Iraq." Hermione finished. "And those are just the major ones."

"Oh my." The professor said.

"You! Sit!" Hermione commanded the professor, pushing him into her chair. "Take notes. Justin, give them a run down on the basics of the biggest events. Pick three, your choice."

"World War 2, Apollo Moon landing and the fall of communism ok with you?" he asked.

"World War 2 and the moon landing are fine. Keep it at that. We'd need to go through the rise of communism and the Cold War before we get to the fall." Hermione said, turning to leave.

"Where are you going?" Justin asked.

"To calm down so I don't go strangle Dumbledore for his hiring policy." She replied, then turned on the professor when he opened his mouth. "Keep quite and take notes. You're lucky I just don't fire you on the spot."

"You can do that?" the professor asked, shocked.

"Of course. I have full authority of Founder Godric Gryffindor." Hermione replied before sweeping out.

TBC…


	6. Chapter 5

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or....... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

"Hey Hermione. You want to tell us what this is about?" Ron asked.

"We're still waiting for one more." Hermione responded.

Ron looked across at Harry who just shrugged. Standing with Harry and Ron were the other Gryffindors. Fred and George were leaning against the wall while Neville stood nervously behind his year mates. Separated by a small but distinct gap were the two Hufflepuffs, Susan Bones and Cedric Diggory. Hermione was standing in front and between the two groups. Unlike the others, who were dressed in their school uniforms, she was dressed in her formal Order of the Griffin uniform, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The uniform was a dark mahogany red set of pants, blouse and jacket all trimmed in gold. The tie had a red and gold pattern. On her shoulders was the gold and silver star cluster insignia of the Grand Marshall and a number of dress ribbons were lined up on the left breast of her jacket to represent the medals she had been awarded. On her left hip rested the sword of Godric Gryffindor, the limited portion of his own sentience that her ancestor had imbued the sword with radiating contentment, while a large pistol rested on her right hip.

After a few minutes of waiting they heard running footsteps. The group turned to see who was approaching and were greeted by a streak of blond hair entering the room, whose uniform had the colouring and crest of Ravenclaw house.

"Sorry I'm late." The voice was melodious and almost ethereal.

"That's fine Luna. We had not started yet." Hermione said. "Alright everyone take a seat."

The students who had received the letter sat around the classroom while Hermione went to the front of the class.

"Now, to begin. Some of you know, others may have heard rumours and others may be unaware, but I am not the same Hermione Granger who attended here last year. Voldermort will rise again and he will have to be fought. I come from a future where the War against Voldermort and his line was won, but it took far too long. We can not allow the older generation to run the war in their manner. It is our generation who will have to fight the coming war, and it needs to be us that runs it."

"Why can't we trust Dumbledore and the other teachers to run it?" Cedric asked.

"Because if we do, over half the people in this room will be dead before they are twenty and only two will make forty. In the future I came from over eighty percent of the students currently at Hogwarts were dead before they turned thirty. Most of those who survived turned to the service of the Dark Lord. In other areas it was worse. Baubuxton's in France was destroyed, all students and teachers killed. Our entire generation was almost wiped out because the older generation saw us as either cannon fodder, pawns or innocents who should not learn how to protect themselves."

"So how do we take control?" Harry asked.

Hermione smiled and outlined her plan and the nature of the Order of the Griffin.

* * *

Hermione marched through the halls on her way back towards the Gryffindor common room while Harry and Ron strolled half a step behind her.

"What do you think, Harry? You going to join?" Ron asked.

"Well I have to take on Voldermort anyway." Harry replied.

"Yeah. I guess I'll join too." Ron said with a shrug.

Both of the boys stopped on the spot as Hermione spun to face them, a hard look on her face.

"This is not a game!" she snapped. "Harry, either way The Order will protect you from specific harm just as I promised. That said, it is still a combat organisation and if either of you join you will be expected to perform combat missions in which any member of the Order could die."

Ron and Harry stepped back at the glare in their formerly bookish friend's eyes.

"Am I clear?"

"Yes." Both boys replied.

Hermione just nodded and then turned and strode away.

* * *

"Ready to go?" Harry asked, popping his head into her study.

"Just one second." Hermione replied, putting a few last papers into an attaché case. "Right, Let's go."

They both used the floo network in Hermione's office to get to Diagon Alley. After brushing off the ash from the public floo, they walked confidently down the street. Hermione was dressed in her Order dress uniform, while Harry was dressed in a pair of denim jeans and a simple red polo shirt. They made their way through the crowd towards Gringotts, a small gap opening around them as they walked.

"Lady Granger of House Gryffindor and Lord Potter of House Potter to see Account Manager Griphook." Hermione announced to the teller Goblin.

"Account Manager Griphook will see you in his office." The teller Goblin replied.

Four hours latter they were back on the street of Diagon Alley after visiting both Gringotts and White, Hussey and Harris. From the vaults of Gringotts they had both retrieved their Family Signet rings and Harry had also retrieved his family sword, which now hung at his hip. Hermione's family signet ring is the same Lion emblem as the Hogwarts Gryffindor house crest, while Harry's consisted of the Potter Hawk, its wings outspread.

They walked through Diagon Alley before heading out of the Leaky Cauldron and into Muggle London, pausing only to transfigure Hermione's uniform into a pair of jeans and a white blouse and 'Don't notice me' wards on the two swords and Hermione's pistol. They wandered around London for a while before stoping for a drink. Stopping at a Café, Hermione treated Harry to a Chocolate Thickshake while she had a Coffee.

"I didn't know you drank Coffee." Harry said when the drinks were delivered. "Yum, that's nice."

Hermione smiled at Harry's reaction to his drink, knowing that he had never had one before.

"I've had the occasional cup since I was thirteen the first time." Hermione replied, taking a sip of her coffee. "You've just never seen me drink it because most Wizards simply can not brew a decent cup of Coffee. They try and do it instantly with Magic and it just does not taste right."

Hermione waited, slowly sipping her coffee and watching Harry thoroughly enjoy his thickshake. She knew him well enough to know he had a question and that this was not the time to press.

"Mione." He said finally. "What was it that the Boggart turned into in DADA?" he finally asked.

So that had been it.

"I have seen a lot of things Harry. I mislead Professor Lupin slightly when I told him it was a class seven. I came back much more than twenty years." She began, trying to figure out how to explain.

She looked into his eyes and decided he needed the truth. Not the whole ten thousand year truth, but the truth none the less.

"I have been a war a very long time, much longer than I have been at peace. In that time I have lost far too many friends. Luna, Ron, Ginny, The Twins. Everyone I have ever cared for or loved. Luna dying of shock form having her arm blown off by a spell; Fred, Alicia and two of their three kids with their throats cut; my husband dead in my arms while I was bleeding from the abdominal wound that killed our unborn child." She paused at the pain of the memories, her hand absently rubbing the where the scar had been. "I became obsessed with revenge and for a while lost my way. It was not about keeping people safe, it was all about killing Voldermort's line, anyone associated with them and anyone who got in my way. I was lost in rage and revenge, hunting alone to kill, no matter the cost. I did awful things and became something to be feared. That was what the Boggart turned into. It turned into me."

Harry sat in shocked silence for a while. He was not a naive as most people would think. He certainly, having grown up with the Dursleys, understood the desire for vengeance, the base impulse to hurt them because they hurt you.

"I can never defeat it, never escape it." Hermione whispered. "My greatest enemy is there every time I look in the mirror."

"So what changed?" Harry asked.

"Huh?" Hermione said shocked. She had half expected anger or disgust, not the sympathy and curiosity in Harry's eyes.

"You were a sole avenging angel, smiting the wicked at the cost of yourself and anyone who got in the way. I can get that, in my head I can see why, especially after living with my relatives. But then you formed the Order. You became the great leader of an army that liberated and protected the populous and, from what you've told me, often sacrificed tactical positions, or their own lives, to spare the innocent. So what changed?"

* * *

Hermione fired the last of the clip down the hallway and ducked back behind the corner. Pulling the spent clip from the assault rifle she stowed it in a small ammo pocket of her black armour and removed her last fresh clip from another pocket, slammed it home and cocked the assault rifle.

She quickly ran the last few seconds of footage through her heads up display, pinpointing the exact positions of the soldiers behind their barricade.

While the armour resembled plate and chain mail of the middle ages, it hid servomotors, electronics and enchantments that increased the speed, strength and reflexes of the wearer. While the increase was not dramatic it helped in combat. The armour also represented the first step in the long development of what would become the armour of the Grand Marshall. But that was not for a long time.

Stepping back out, she gunned down the defenders with quick and accurate bursts from the assault rifle and the targeting data. After confirming all the soldiers were dead she ran down the hallways, following the map in her heads-up display. She burst out into a cross corridor and noticed another group of soldiers.

Unlike the previous group, these soldiers seemed surprised to see her and hesitated for a second before opening fire, allowing her to duck behind a pillar. She fired the last burst from her assault riffle down the hall, forcing the soldiers to find cover, then she released the assault rifle, trusting the strap to secure the weapon. Without a word she charged towards the soldiers just now peaking out from cover, a pistol in one hand and a dark blade in the other. She snapped off a few shots as the formed a firing line. The first volley rang out and a few bullets bounced off her armour, one finding a chink and lodging itself in the side of her abdomen. The second volley was about to ring out when the officer called a cease fire. A second later something crashed into Hermione's legs, causing her to stumble to a stop.

"Don't kill him." The small girl who had tackled her legs called out. "Don't kill my daddy, you dirty Slytherin!"

"Jenny, go back inside." The officer called out.

Hermione now noticed the Gryffindor Lion, now turned into a unit patch, on his uniform. This was something that she had seen but not really noticed on the previous soldiers who had been shocked at her appearance, but in retrospect had been conspicuously absent from the groups that had been prepared for her appearance, like the last group.

"I'm just here to kill two men." She stated. "Your Governor and his guest."

"Tell that to all the solders you killed." Spat one of the soldiers.

"They all fired first." She replied.

"We are duty bound to protect the Governor." The officer replied.

"Even if he is working with a Dark Wizard?" she asked.

"Talk fast." The officer said.

She did.

* * *

"So with his squads help, me and the officer cleaned out the squads that had known about the dark wizard's presence, killed the Governor and the dark wizard.' Hermione concluded. "The next morning I left that planet and never went back. Eighty years later when I founded the Order, they send the first group of recruits. Including that little girl, Jenny Weasley. She became on of my best soldiers and my Second in Command, till she bought a piece and I shipped her home."

"Weasley?" Harry said.

"The descendant of Fred and Alicia's last surviving child."

"Descendants, other Planets. Exactly how old are you?" Harry asked.

"Harry, you never ask a woman that question." Hermione mock scolded, causing Harry to blush red. "How old do you think Dumbledore is?"

"I don't know. One twenty maybe." Harry said with a shrug.

"McGonagall is about one sixty. Average Wizarding life expectancy is about two forty, Dumbledore is pushing two eighty. I make him look young. But here's something to consider. Within ten years of the Magical world being revealed to Muggles, there were spaceships capable of travelling thousands of light-years in a matter of days and seven colony worlds being founded."

"How?" Harry said in wonder.

"Teseracts and Quantum Tunnelling."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Those are just the Muggle names for Apperation and Portkeys. The real reason is that they are imaginers and Wizards are Expediters." Hermione tried to explain. "Muggles dream, they can make anything they imagine, Wizards speed up the creation or implementation of ideas, but most can not really generate new ideas themselves. Muggleborn are the bridge, the creativity of the Muggles, the magic of the Wizards. When the two worlds come together, there is nothing that can not be done."

Harry said a thought for a while, still sipping on his drink.

"So a little girl, a Weasley at that, brought you back?" he finally said.

"Yes. She did. But I know I haunted her dreams, weather as the daemon who came to slaughter their defenders, or the angel who freed them from the dark, or both. Just as the others haunt mine. All the little boys and girls, the men and women who could not find the right words. All the widows, the orphaned children and childless parents who never got to see their loved ones again. The wedding dresses never worn, the children never conceived. All the lives destroyed because of my dark rage."

"But what about the most tragic loss?" Harry asked. "The life YOU never got to lead, all the things YOU never got to do. YOUR lost children, the time YOU never got to spend with YOUR husband."

Hermione lowered her head, so lost in pain of her memories. Still she felt lighter, as it they would not trouble her quite as much ever again. Harry now knew some of the worst in her, but he was still her friend. She was so caught up in the pain and relief that she never heard his next words.

"I think that is the loss that will haunt my dreams." He whispered.

TBC…


	7. Chapter 6

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

"Five minutes. Everyone start packing up." Snape ordered.

Most of the students started packing away, a few put their unfinished potions into inert containers for storage till the next class. Snape patrolled, but did not loom, to ensure that everything was being properly stored.

Two months had passed since the start of term and the revelations regarding Harry and Hermione's status as Lord and Lady. Snape, no longer able to intimidate and threaten under the penalty of summary dismissal by a student, had ended up displaying his consummate ability as a potions master and his competency as a teacher. While still not friendly with his students, he was no longer openly hostile.

Neville confidently put the stopper on the vial containing a sample of his potion and passed it to Professor Snape. Without the black clad teacher constantly looming over him, and with the confidence born of the Order training, the formerly clumsy boy had proved to have a deft touch with potions. Hermione, without having to constantly monitor and help her fellow Gryffindor, was brewing complex potions well beyond third year level at the same time as the assigned potions.

The four Gryffindors left the potions dungeon and marched through the castle to their next class in a formation developed by German fighter pilots in World War 2 called the Finger Four. Hermione was in the lead with Neville a step behind on her left and Ron the same on her right. Harry was on the outside of the formation a step behind and to Ron's right.

All four were dressed in their school uniforms, Harry and Hermione had their family swords visible, but they all carried concealed pistols beneath their robes and their eyes constantly scanned the milling mass of students as they made their way out of the castle and down to Hagrid's hut for their Care of Magical Creatures class. As the class assembled, they were joined by Susan Bones as Care was one of the few classes where all four houses were in the same class.

"Right. Everyone here? Lets go then." Hagrid's voice boomed as he lead the class away into the forest. "Here we are then."

"What's the great dolt doing now. This is an empty clearing." Draco sneered to Goyle.

"Can anyone tell me what is here?" Hagrid asked.

"There's nothing here." Another student said.

"Thestrals." Hermione replied, causing almost everyone to stare at her in shock.

"Right you are, Hermione." Hagrid said, revealing a bucket full of small strips of meat.

Hermione took a peace of meat and walked forward slowly holding it in her palm. All the students gasped as the peace of meat rose from her hand and then disappeared.

"Long thought to be a myth, the Thestrals are cousin to the Pegasus, but they are all black, mostly skeletal and can only be seen by those who have seen death." Hagrid explained.

"You've seen death?" Dean asked Hermione.

"We're old friends." She replied, as if to wave it off but with a deep undercurrent of feeling.

"Hear he's a wicked chess player." Harry joked.

"Who do you think taught him." She joked back with a genuine smile.

For over a month Harry had been distant to her. They still talked in classes, while studying, during Order training sessions and while just chatting with Ron, but he always seemed slightly closed off. This was the first real joke he had made with just her in weeks.

"Alright, everyone except Hermione line up and take a turn looking through these glasses." Hagrid ordered, holding up a pair of old wireframe glasses. "These were made by a wizard during the Black Death, he was doing a focusing spell on them when Death claimed his wife. These will allow you to see the Thestrals."

Harry stood calmly and quietly beside Hermione for a few minutes, as if to just let her know she was still his friend before he went for his turn.

Hagrid stood grinning next to Hermione as he watched the students. Once you looked through the Glasses you became aware of the Thestrals, even though you could not see them. Throughout it all Hermione sat with her back against a tree, calmly petting a young Thestral Colt.

* * *

Hermione and Harry watched as the majority of the student body left the campus for the last Hogsmead weekend before Christmas. Harry and Hermione had decided not to go to the nearby village as their status allowed them to go much more interesting places on a regular basis. The previous weekend Harry had been to Zurich for a meeting while Hermione had, two weeks before, spent a whole day in meetings in Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, New York and Johannesburg.

They went back inside the castle, heading to the Great Hall. As they entered the Great Hall, all its tables and benches now stacked against the walls, the removed their outer robes and tossed them onto one of the stacked benches.

CLANG!

Harry stepped back and circled to the left. Feigning to the right, he swung low on the left, only to have his sword blocked by Hermione's.

"Better. But you are still advertising your blows." She advised.

They continued to spar for almost an hour, Hermione keeping her swordwork limited to something that would challenge but not overwhelm Harry, who was progressing remarkably well.

"You have any plans for Christmas break?" Hermione asked as they took a break, taking drinks from the water bottles that the house elves had unobtrusively provided.

"Not really. Probably just stay here." Harry replied with a shrug. "I have no desire to see my relatives and staying alone at one of my properties is not appealing either."

"Why not come home with me?" Hermione asked. "My parents have wanted to meet my friend Harry since I first told them about you. There is also someone else I want you to meet."

"That sound good." Harry said, a mile blush just barley marring his face.

"Alright. Now, break's over." She grinned.

He groaned.

* * *

"I think we are going about this wrong." Hermione's voice came from the living room.

"It's a solid stratagem." The Grand Marshall responded from her place in the command centre, her eyes scanning the constant flow of data that appeared holographically on the table.

"It may be a solid stratagem, but we will scare him off." Hermione Potter said, coming out of the living room and idly pushing a strand of her wavy hair over her shoulder.

"Look, I've done this for a long time." The Grand Marshall replied, rubbing her temple wearily.

A crash came from the back of the room, from behind a solid metal door, accompanied by a scream full of rage and hatred before it went silent again.

"We have done that for a long time too." Young Hermione Granger said, indicating to the door.

"She is never coming out again." Hermione Potter snapped.

"We can not do this a you." Young Hermione said to the Grand Marshall.

"If anyone can do this, I can." The ancient warrior said. "Besides, if we do it as you, he dies."

"I never suggested we do this as me." Young Hermione said.

"Then that only leaves me." Hermione Potter replied.

"Oh please." The Grand Marshall said.

"You would expect him to be your husband." Young Hermione replied. "While you probably know who he will be the best, that is not who he is now. You would hurt him the deepest of all of us."

"Then you have no solution." Hermione Potter said, dismissing her younger self.

"We need to reassess the parameters." The Grand Marshall said, half to herself.

Young Hermione retreated to her library, pulling down a book and started to read.

"We don't need the girl he once know." She mused to herself. "Nor his wife. Not the monster or the Military leader. What we need is Hermione."

TBC

* * *

OMAKE! (my first ever)

Draco was looking through the stupid glasses at the skeletal horses, which he had to admit, to himself if not out laud, were kind of cool. Suddenly a new figure appeared as if out of a mist. Robed and hooded in an inky black, a wicked looking scythe in one hand. The figure turned to look at Draco, he was unable to see anything from within the ink darkness of the cowl as the figure slowly, ominously raised its arm and… waved.

He pulled off the glasses and threw them on the ground. When he looked up he still saw the figure and so did everyone else. That Mudblood Granger approached the figure, who waved an arm as if casting a spell. Draco ducked and turned his back, half expecting an explosion.

"White or Black, like I have to ask."

Was that Granger's voice?

"Black, of course." Came an oily smooth voice.

Draco stood and looked back at the figure and could not believe his eyes. Granger and Death were playing chess.

"It's a bit early, but I could reap that one." Death said, nodding at Draco. "Call it a thanks for setting me up with the Misses."

"Nah. Some of his Descendants are good friends of mine." Granger replied.

"Very well." Death replied.

"His father on the other hand…"

Draco shuddered. Despite not being able to see Death's face he could feel a smile.

"Done." Death said as he moved. "Check in five."

Hermione made her move and Death cocked his head.

"Check Mate in three." She replied with a grin.

"Bugger."

End Omake


	8. Chapter 7

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

AN: thanks everyone for their reviews. Here are some answers to some of your comments

J.A. Jasper: The Prologue section was ten thousand years in the future, hence all the advanced tech (although I think the tech stagnated for quite a while or it would be much more advanced). Also in regards to your bullets vs. killing curse. I see it as bullets for offence, magic for defence.

StormBrsinger: I called it the finger four formation because that is what Hermione first learned the formation was called and would have been the name she used for it for the rest of her life. As for the 'from the future' issue, Hermione is a genius who uses magic, she would have thought up some way to convince them and if you think about it the magical world would be more open to that kind of thing than the muggle world.

HarmonyLover: Sorry that the three Hermione bit confused you. To explain the three Hermione's are different aspects of Hermione's personality and the room is a representation of her subconscious. Young Hermione Granger is her as a schoolgirl, the way she is in the books, Hermione Potter is her love and marriage to Harry and The Grand Marshall is all her military experience. Hope that clears it up.

JMLuna: No Harry has not been sent back. That comment was just to show his empathy and how he will be haunted by the thought of all Hermione never got to do.

GinnyLover14: The first recorded documentation of glasses being used to aid reading comes from 1289 and the first artistic representation of someone wearing glasses is from 1352 so it not inconceivable for Death to be caught during the Black Death in the 1300's on glasses. Benjamin Franklin invented the Bifocal lenses in the 18th Century.

* * *

'In through the nose, out through the mouth. Slow and steady.' Harry thought, concentrating on his breathing as his body moved fluidly on the treadmill at a steady, ground eating pace. George was running at a similar pace on the treadmill next to him. Fred and Cedric were in one of the small class training rooms off of the main Gym with Hermione who was running a debriefing on the small training exercise with the two team leaders.

"And strip. Cut." Neville's voice came across the room.

Harry glanced over, without breaking his rhythm, and watched Susan Bones enact the knife stripping technique on Neville and then the disabling and killing cuts with the wooden practice knife. Luna drifted out of the change room dressed in nothing but a towel as she went over and picked up her kit bag from near the door and went back into the change room. Ron was on the weights machine doing bicep and tricep exercises.

Hermione emerged from the side room with Cedric and Fred following. Harry and George immediately began to dial back their treadmills as Neville and Ron moved to the centre of the gym while Susan headed for the change room to retrieve Luna.

They lined up in front of Hermione in their teams. Fred and Cedric stood directly in front of Hermione. On Fred's left stood George, Harry and Luna, with Susan, Ron and Neville on Cedric's right.

"Congratulations. You have just completed a gruelling close quarters exercise and have all performed exceptionally well. This is the last training session before the Christmas break. Keep up your personal training over the break and when we meet again we will begin firearms exercises. Have a good holiday. Dismissed."

The group snapped to attention and saluted, before about facing and taking one step in unison. Then the group lost all semblance of unity. Ron was the first one heading for the door, mumbling about being hungry, although Harry had to admit that Ron did not eat as much as he once did. Neville was not far behind his redheaded classmate. Luna seemed to float out of the room with a serine smile on her face, at odds in Harry's mind with the cold, calm face he had seen mere hours before. The twins were whispering to each other as they left, and the two Hufflepuffs were also quietly discussing the exercise.

"Coming, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah." He replied, following his best friend.

Sometimes she reminded him strongly of the girl he had known last year, at others she was someone unrecognisable and slightly scary, and she sometimes would switch between the two. With a slight shake of his head he followed.

* * *

"Now if you father has any more questions about the Japanese Corporations, tell him to drop me an owl." Hermione said to the Sixth year Ravenclaw.

The boy nodded and moved down the platform towards the tunnel back to Kings Cross Station. Harry joined her with their trunks and they moved through the milling crowd for the Christmas holiday, the small gap forming around them as the walked. They moved through the tunnel and out into Muggle King's Cross station and the more crushing crowd. In the food court Harry and Hermione met up with three people.

"Harry, I'd like to introduce you to my mother, father and a family friend." Hermione said.

Pleasure to meet you, Mr and Mrs Granger." Harry said formally.

"And you Harry. Hermione has told us so much about you." Peter Granger said, shaking Harry's hand.

Harry then shook Jane Granger's hand and turned to the family friend.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Harry." He said offering his hand to the man, who was looking at him like he had seen a ghost.

"You look so much like James." The man said in awe.

"Harry. This is Lord Sirius Black." Hermione said. "He is your Godfather. He will be staying with us over the holiday."

* * *

Hermione watched for a second before closing the door. Harry and Sirius were in the dining room having a long discussion, mostly about Harry's parents.

She moved into the living room and joined her parents.

"How has Sirius been doing?" she asked.

"He's been a bit isolated, living in a safe house. He knows that he has been pardoned but still feels resentment towards the magical community." Peter Granger said.

"He is starting to get more involved in the non-magical community around him." Jane Granger added, earning a nod from Hermione. "How is Harry coping?"

"Coping?" Hermione replied, "He's under pressure. Not only does he have the whole learning magic and dealing with social interactions after having lived with his Aunt and Uncle. Then there's the whole other level with his being famous."

Hermione sighed as she leaned back on the sofa, running her hand through her hair, which had been pulled back into a loose ponytail.

"Firstly for being the Boy Who Lived, and with all the pressure of everyone's expectation that he will kill Voldermort. Then the added level of him being recognised as a Ruling Lord while still at school. All he really wants is just to be normal."

After Hermione trailed off, they sat in silence for a few moments.

"You really love him. Don't you?" Jane Granger said, causing Hermione's head to snap up to look at her mother.

"Is it that obvious?" Hermione asked after a long pause.

"Only to us dear." Peter replied.

"You should tell him." Jane prompted.

Hermione shook her head, fixing both her parents with a stare.

"That can never happen. Not until he decides if he loves me or not." She said.

"Why ever not?" Jane asked.

"Just trust me. If I told him, it would destroy him."

Hermione rose and left the room, leaving her bemused parents behind.

* * *

She sat in a darkened room, only illuminated by the images moving on the wall. The long ago memories of events still to come flittered across the wall. The image of Hermione, Harry, Ron, Neville and Luna at their Hogwarts graduation ceremony, as seen from Hermione's perspective was playing when a quiet knock came at the door.

"Come in Sirius." She said.

"How did you know it was me?" the former prisoner said, entering and closing the door behind him.

"Yours are the only unfamiliar footsteps in the house." Hermione replied. "How's Harry?"

"He'll be alright." Sirius said, sitting down on a chair next to Hermione. "He loves hearing stories about his parents."

Hermione did not respond to that, and they both sat in silence for a while.

"When was this?" Sirius said, confused by the image.

"In about four years." She replied.

"Time Travel?" he asked.

"Time Travel." Hermione confirmed. "Did you want to see what his life was like last time?"

"If you don't mind." Sirius replied.

"Would not have offered if I did. Just remember these are memories, so they are from either Harry's or my own perspective. Mostly my own."

"How did you get Harry's memories?"

"They were a gift."

A few scenes whipped by rapidly. Hermione's view of the Troll in the Bathroom in First year, of the trip down the trap door later that year. Harry's view of Hermione Petrified in Second Year. Her view of Harry casting a full Patronus in the other version of Third Year.

"James." Sirius had whispered at that.

Hermione watching Harry take on the Dragon in Fourth Year's Tri Wizard Tournament. Harry's view of Hermione descending the main staircase in her Yule Ball Dress, this one seemed to go in slow motion. Her view of moving into a small apartment with harry after school to save money as they both began work in London. Going together to Fred and Alicia's wedding since they were both going anyway.

Then the scenes began to go slower. The night when the power had gone out in their apartment and they had shared their first kiss. Harry's perspective on the first time he asked Hermione out on a date. Their one year dating anniversary. Hermione's perspective on Harry preposing. The wedding, with Harry in a tux, Ron as best man and Luna as Maid of Honour. Harry's view of Hermione coming down the isle, a long flowing white dress, being given away by her father.

The next scene started with a sunrise over water on a beach, it was from Harry's perspective as you could see Hermione, her back to Harry, her long hair flowing down her back. She was wearing a wrap around skirt, like the ones worn over a bikini, and a straw hat. As she began to turn the scene skipped to the next one, and Sirius noticed the remote in Hermione's hand.

"Ahh. That was from the honeymoon." She said, sheepishly, which was cute on a thirteen year old.

"Right. No problem. How old were you when you took the vows?"

"I was twenty-three, Harry was twenty-two."

Several more scenes played, a condensed version of ten years of married life. Coffee in the morning, holding each other after a long day, birthday parties, anniversaries, all the little joys.

"Of course his life was not all sunshine and roses." Hermione said.

Then the horror reel started. The attack by Voldermort inhabited Qurrel in the Forbidden Forrest. Facing Tom Riddle over Ginny's unconscious body in the Chamber of Secrets, Cederic's death. The finding of Ginny's broken body after it had been missing a year, and the shock realisation that she was better off dead. Neville going down in a fight, taking Bellatrix Le Strange with him. Ron badly hurt in St Mungos. Screaming matches between Harry and Hermione.

A lifetime of battles, blood, pain and abuse, ending with Hermione kneeling over his body, lifeblood flowing through her fingers as they clutched her own abdomen, the grief and paid overwhelming even on a simple projected memory.

"Just before that, I had told him some wonderful news. He would have made a great father." Hermione said, so quietly that Sirius almost did not hear.

"I think you would have made a good mother too." He replied.

"Well, I never got the chance to find out." She said simply. "I needed to tell someone this, but you can never tell Harry any of this."

"Why not? I think it would do him the world of good to know he was loved that well." Sirius said.

"No. It would make him question every feeling he ever had and would make him doubt everything I ever say. For his own good, Harry must never know."

"How do you know I won't tell him?" Sirius asked, a challenging note in his voice.

"Two reasons. One, you love him like a son. Two, because we are identical in one respect."

"And what would that be?"

"I love Harry so much, that I would give him up forever if it meant he would be happy. Just like you did with Lilly when she chose James."

TBC…


	9. Chapter 8

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

Harry had one of the biggest smiles that Hermione had ever seen plastered across his face.

"Here?" he asked.

"Two branches to the right." Hermione responded.

Harry moved the bauble two branches to the right and hug it.

"What about this?" Sirius asked.

Hermione was sitting in the lounge chair watching and directing the two Wizards as they trimmed a Muggle Christmas tree.

"That goes on the mantle. Right side between the two photos." She replied.

Yesterday Harry, Sirius and Peter had spent the whole day shopping for the Christmas tree.

"Hermione, Harry, Sirius. Lunch in five minutes." Jane said from the dining room.

"Coming mum." Hermione called back.

The current residents of the Granger household sat around the table, Peter at the head of the table with Jane on his right at Hermione on his left. Harry sat next to Hermione with Sirius opposite him next to Jane. Good food and good conversation followed.

As dinner progressed a small, bitter-sweet smile graced Hermione's face. She remembered so many Christmas' with Harry. A few like this one with her parents in later years and just out of Hogwarts. Their first Christmas after they started dating, a tablecloth spread out on the floor of their small apartment for a picnic, the fireplace blazing. Dinner with Neville and Luna. A Christmas alone because Harry was working. A cold, uneaten dinner and a screaming match. Christmas with the Weasley's to celebrate Alicia's first pregnancy, but with a few noticeable absences, Ginny dead, Ron in St Mungo's, Arthur….

"You ok?" Harry whispered from next to her.

"I'm fine." She replied.

Her eyes caught Sirius' across the table, he understood. She was haunted by the memory of things yet to be.

* * *

A knock came on the door.

"What is it?" the man behind the desk asked, not looking up from the stack of papers in front of him.

"Ah, Sir. You have some visitors." The secretary said.

"I don't have any scheduled." The man responded. "Can it wait?"

"One of the visitors is the Queen, Mister Prime Minister."

At this the Prime Minister's head shot up, his eyes wide.

"Send them in." he said putting his papers to the side.

Three people entered the room, The Queen, an SAS General and a distinguished older lady who kept to the back.

"Your Majesty." He said bowing to the Queen, and when he rose he got a better look at the other lady and went pail. "So which country is planning to Nuke us and what incursion plan do you have for me to approve?"

All three of his visitors looked at each other in confusion.

"None that I am aware of. Why, what have you heard?" the lady asked.

"Don't play games, M. That's the only thing I can think of that would warrant the Crown, the SAS and MI6." The Prime Minister replied.

Two hours later the Prime Minister sighed, looking at the briefing material he had been handed.

"I wish it was someone Nuking us." He said wearily. "This our best course of action?"

"Yes, Sir." The General replied. "The other option outlined has less than one in ten thousand chance of working."

"Ok. With your approval, Majesty, I am ordering the implementation." He said.

"Of course." The Queen replied. "The basis of the plan was my idea, quite a while ago. Once things progress a bit the Palace may be able to help more directly."

The formal farewells were made and the Prime Minister sat alone in his office.

"I need a drink." He muttered to himself, in shock.

* * *

Hermione sat in Transfiguration class, with Harry sitting next to her. Neville was sitting with Dean and Ron was partnered up with Susan Bones. Professor McGonagall was doing Conjuration theory on the blackboard.

Hermione was working on the firearm proficiency reports from yesterday's Order qualifications. All of the Order members had qualified on the rifle course, although Fred and Susan were borderline. Luna was an expert shot and well on her way to being a fully qualified Sniper. Cedric was also a keen shot. While Susan was not great with rifles she was deadly with pistols. Hermione was starting to list down what weapons to assign to each member.

"Miss Granger. Are you paying attention?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Hermione glanced up at the board before looking back down at her list.

"You are explaining the outdated theory that when conjuring something from nothing it is created through the manifestation of the person's magic. Which of course completely ignores that fact that the same item conjured by two different wizards or witches are completely identical." She replied still not looking up.

She marked down Luna to being assigned an L96A1 Sniper rifle and settled on assigning Susan an MP10 and a pair of pistols.

"Would you care to clarify that statement, Miss Granger." The Professor asked.

Hermione sighed and put down her quill, and looked the professor in the eye.

"Very simple. Under your theory, if someone very powerful, such as the headmaster and someone like a first year both conjured, say a white Rose, then the Headmaster's rose should be more intricate than the first years, yet if you do it one thousand times, the quality of the two roses will be identical."

The entire class, except the Order members, were staring at Hermione in shock.

"If it is not a manifestation of the Witches or Wizards Magic, then where does the conjured item come from?" Dean asked.

"A parallel universe. Look, what the professor is teaching is mostly accurate, and I don't have ten years to teach you all the precursor physics and quantum physics to even begin to understand the theory." Hermione responded, going back to her list.

Maybe a P90 for Harry? He did well with them in the qualifications.

* * *

Dinner was in full swing. Everyone was eating and enjoying themselves. It had been several weeks since the incident during the transfiguration class. All of the Order members, at their separate tables, were eating much more than they used to, a requirement of their training regimes, although Ron still occasionally shovelled his food and Luna still loved pudding more than almost anything else.

"I'm just saying it should be a good match." Ron said. "The Hufflepuff's have greatly improved. Harry versus Cedric will be interesting."

Suddenly a loud siren was sound through the hall, causing chaos.

"Quiet!" Dumbledore screamed, silencing the hall.

"What is happening, Albus?" McGonagall asked, getting a shrug from the Headmaster.

"Hogwarts, Report." Hermione commanded.

A space shimmered in front of Hermione, hovering over her plate. She waved her wand over the space, changed the image and muttering "clear" on each image.

"Got it. Death Eaters, coming in through the Forrest." She said, waving her wand to dismiss the window and raising from the chair. "Order of the Griffin on me!"

The other five Gryffindors, two Hufflepuffs and one Ravenclaw followed Hermione to the main door.

"What are you waiting for, Headmaster." The Grand Marshall ordered into the Great Hall. "Get the students to their Common rooms."

* * *

"Priority Lockdown. Granger-Six-Alpha-Three." Hermione Ordered. "The castle is secure."

They were all dressed in jungle camouflage, with combat vests. Harry and Hermione had their family swords sheathed in the back of their combat vests. Luna, Susan and the twins had darkened their hair, and all the girls had their hair kept back in tight ponytails.

They all checked their assigned weapons. Luna checked the sight on her sniper rifle while Fred checked the box cartridge on his M249 SAW. Susan and Ron were crosschecking their MP10's. George was loading shells into the spare drum clip for his AA-12 automatic shotgun. Neville spammed home the clip and cock his stock issue M16 while Cedric checked the M203 under barrel grenade launcher on his M16.

Hermione was checking the red dot sight on her P90 while Harry was checking the straps securing his spare P90 clips to his vest, letting his own P90 hang from the securing clasp on his vest.

"Everyone ready? Let's go."

* * *

The twenty Death Eaters were making their way through the forbidden forest. Johns was a young recruit, his father had insisted that he go on this raid, to spread proper respect.

"Johns, South. Go find the right path." The leader said.

Johns grumbled but took off in front of the main group with South. They were a few hundred yards ahead but in this particular section of the forest there was a reasonable amount of ground cover so they were out of sight of the main group.

"What's that?" South said.

Johns heard something off to his left and turned to check, but after a second of seeing nothing he turned back but found South gone. Drawing his wand, Johns spun, trying to find South.

He was about to call back to the main group when a gloved hand clamped over his mouth. A second later he felt the knife enter his ribs.

The last thing he saw as he dropped to the ground was a young girl, with long dark hair held back in a pony tail, in strange greenish cloths. She reached up and touched something black around her throat.

"Scouts down." She said.

Then everything went dark.

TBC…


	10. Chapter 9

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

"Targets spotted. Seven hundred meters and closing." Luna's calm, almost ethereal voice came over the radio.

Hermione checked the disposition of her force. She was concealed behind a large tree, with Neville a few meters off to her left, George was the same distance to her right with Harry and then Cedric spaced on the other side of George. All of them were concealed from the oncoming Death Eaters.

"Confirmed. Team one in position. Team two, sitrep." She said into her throat mike.

"Team two in position. Will move to objective on your signal." Fred replied.

"Confirmed. Spotter, we will go on your mark." She ordered, giving her P90 one last check.

"Rodger." Luna replied.

* * *

Luna Lovegood, lay on the ground, the muzzle of her sniper rifle poking through a hole in the log in front of her. She forced her breathing to be slow and even.

The barrel swung slowly as she surveyed the approaching Death Eaters. She knew what they were, and she knew what they meant to do, but this was still hard. She was about to take a life, about to choose who was to die. Suddenly she stopped, and back tracked two Death Eaters. The scar, the eyes. She knew that face, but where?

Then it came, the persistent memory. The face out the window. Running down the hall. Her mother's face. The explosion. The pain of hitting the wall.

Luna's features hardened, morphing into a mask that no one, with one exception, would have ever believed possible on the carefree girl. That man killed her mother, he must die.

Exhale, pause, squeeze. The man fell. BANG.

* * *

A Death Eater fell as Luna's shot rang out. Hermione immediately stepped out from behind her tree and her first two bursts cut down two Death Eaters. A half second after Hermione moved, so did the others. George's opening shots turned the top half of another Death Eater into minced meat with the flechette rounds. Two more Death Eaters also took non fatal rounds, before four of them managed to get shield spells up.

"Concentrate fire." Hermione ordered.

Hermione and Neville began pouring all their fire into one of the end shields while George, Harry and Cedric did the same on the other side of the line. One of the Death Eaters behind a shield not under fire began to cast a spell. The Death Eater who was maintaining the shield momentarily dropped it to allow the spell out. Just as the offensive spell was cast, the Death Eater fell, shot through the heart by Luna, causing the spell to go awry.

Suddenly one of the shields failed and three Death Eaters were cut down. The remaining Death Eaters were shaken that these strange muggle weapons could defeat their shields, they began to fall back, still maintaining their shields behind them as they ran.

"Team Two, They are coming. Team one, Cover." Hermione ordered, taking cover behind a tree.

* * *

Fred, Ron and Susan were waiting as the routing Death Eaters. Fred had set up his SAW and Ron and Susan were stationed a few feet to either side of him. As the ten remaining Death Eaters emerged from the trees, still shielding their backs from the main force.

Fred, Ron and Susan all waited until the Death Eaters were close, then they opened fire with full force. The heavy staccato of the SAW was mixed with the higher pitched bursts of the MP10's. The final ten Death Eaters did the Dance Macabre, their bodies jerking under the hail of bullets.

"Check them. I'll cover." Fred said.

Susan and Ron moved through the bodies of the Death Eaters, making sure that they were dead. A three round burst rang out and Ron looked over at Susan, who shrugged.

"He was going to die anyway." She said.

* * *

"Got a live one." Harry said.

Hermione came and checked the downed Death Eater. He was unconscious, one of the ones who had been injured in the initial attack.

"What's the call, boss?" George asked.

There was a groan from another person. Hermione went over, drawing the Sword of Gryffindor. This Death Eater had been shot in the hip and the gut, the gut wound was bleeding black blood.

"Why did you attack?" Hermione asked.

"Filthy mudblood." The Death Eater spat.

"Look, you got hit in the liver. You will be dead in ten minutes. There is no point in not telling me why." She replied.

He spit in her face. A rustling in the bushes caused six guns to raised on the bushes. Fred, Ron and Susan emerged from the bushes.

"Bloody Hell, you three, we could have shot you. Next time let us know you are coming." Hermione yelled.

"Sorry." The three newcomers said, looking chastised.

"Alright. Check ammo and get ready to move out. Fred, Cedric, pick him up, we'll take him back for questioning." Hermione ordered, indicating to the unconscious Death Eater.

"And him?" Harry asked, nodding to the still groaning man on the ground.

"Leave him. Like I said, he will be dead before we get back to the Castle."

* * *

The great doors of the main entrance opened for the returning Order members to reveal a collection of teachers. The Headmaster lead stood in the middle with the four housemasters flanking him.

"Miss Granger. You will explain what is going on and why we were locked inside the castle." Dumbledore demanded.

"Fred, George, Cedric, Harry. Take our 'guest' to the infirmary. Only let madam Pomfrey get him stable. And make sure they take out the bullets first." Hermione ordered. "The rest of you dismissed."

"Miss Granger. I asked you a question." Dumbledore said.

"One, you did not ask her a question." Harry said, having stopped following the others to the infirmary or their dorms. "Secondly, the proper way to address her is Lady Granger, Lady Gryffindor or Your Majesty. Thirdly, she looks about three seconds from ripping your head off and spitting down you're throat. My advice, ask politely or run."

Hermione gave a nod of the head and Harry left her alone with the Professors. She glared in the eyes of both Dumbledore and Snape.

"Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout. Please let your houses know that any undue badgering of my comrades as to the events of the night will not be tolerated, by myself or them. Ronald, Fred and George Weasley, Cedric Diggory, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood and Susan Bones are all considered to be retainers and under the protection of both House Potter and House Gryffindor."

The heads of house were socked but the three professors nodded slowly.

"And what did happen, Lady Granger, so that we may know what to look for." Professor McGonagall asked.

"We killed nineteen Death Eaters and captured one for interrogation and execution." Hermione said, starting to walk off.

As she approached the stairs she stopped turned and rose her P90, switching it between Dumbledore and Snape.

"I don't know which one of you did it, but either of you try to invade my mind, or any of my comrades and you will envy the Death Eater we captured. The only reason I don't kill you now is I don't want to have to interview for new professors mid way through the school year. It would disrupt the other student's education."

Hermione stalked off towards the Infirmary, to check on the prisoner, muttering to herself in a tone that made Professors Flitwick and Sprout glad they could not hear. All the teachers were glaring daggers at Professor Snape who, after a minute, swept off towards his quarters.

* * *

Michelle Waters sat in the Ravenclaw Common room when the portal opened. At first she did not recognise the figure that entered. Michelle was a half blood and her father, her Muggle parent, was in the Army, so she recognised the dappled green uniform as BDU's and the green and black battle paint obscuring the female figures face and darkening her hair. The Sniper's Ghillie cloak, with it's hood lowered, made it look as if she was carrying shrubbery on her back, and her rifle, slung over her right shoulder had a scope and its own Ghillie covering.

"Who are you." One of the prefects answered, moving towards the figure with Cho Chang, one of the "Princesses" of the house, in tow.

Having practiced with her own father, Michelle looked past the war paint and saw who it was.

"Luna?" she said.

Luna and Michelle shared a dorm room together.

"Lovegood?" the prefect asked. "What were you doing? The Headmaster told us all to return to our dorms when that Granger girl caused the ruckus at Dinner."

Luna put her right hand on the pistol that was holstered at her hip and lowered her left to her side. For a second this confused Michelle, then she remembered that Luna was ambidextrous. Watching Luna's left hand she saw the blonde's wand slip out of her sleave and into her hand. Michelle's mother, a left handed Witch, pulled the same trick.

"I was following orders." Luna said, trying to go to her room, but being blocked by the Prefect and Cho.

"Who's orders supersede the Headmasters?" Cho asked, sneering at the younger girl, who calmly drew the pistol from the holster and held it by her side.

Both Cho and the prefect were ignorant of what this action meant.

"The Grand Marshall." Luna replied.

Before anyone could say anything else, the portal again opened and Professor Flitwick entered.

"What is going on here?" he asked, seeing the two girls confronting Luna. "Miss Lovegood, off to bed if you please. Your CO's orders."

The professor was not completely ignorant of Muggle Military terminology. Luna nodded, holstered the pistol and left the common room.

"Well? I'm waiting."

"Miss Chang and Prefect Walters were about three seconds from being shot after they started interrogating Luna." Michelle said, causing the Prefect and Cho to redden in anger.

"Lovegood was out after curfew and refused to answer a Prefect." Walters said.

"She did tell you, you just could not understand the answers." Michelle retorted.

"Enough." Professor Flitwick replied. "From this point on there is to be no more questioning of Miss Lovegood's activities, interference with her movements or bullying, which includes hiding her plain clothes, Miss Chang. Anyone who interferes with Miss Lovegood or any of her non Ravenclaw associates will be severely punished. Unfortunately the punishment will not be handed out by a Professor, nor will it consist of loss of house points or Detention. I dare say it will be something much less enjoyable and possibly permanent."

In the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor common rooms a similar speech was being given by the Head of House, but without the incident that proceeded it. There was no incident in the Hufflepuff common room because their innate loyalty meant that Susan Bones' appearance in military gear only warranted curiosity. In Gryffindor it was because they were used to the crazy antics of the Golden Trio, even before two of them became Ruling Lord and Lady, so Neville and Ron showing up in BDU's with an Assault Rifle and a Submachine gun was almost par for the course.

In the infirmary, Madam Pomfrey gritted her teeth as she went about trying to treat her new patient. Hermione watched her going about her work, not letting her perform any treatment that was not to immediately stabilise the patient and bring consciousness in the wounded man. George and Harry stood near the end of the bed, off to the sides with their weapons trained on the unconscious man, while Fred and Cedric were at parade rest watching the door to make sure no one came too close.

Poppy sighed. It was going to be a long night.

TBC…


	11. Chapter 10

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

The General sat behind his desk going through the paperwork. There was a knock at the door.

"Yes." He said.

The door opened and a Sergeant Major opened the door.

"Sir, the Major and the Agent are here." The Sergeant Major said.

"Show them in."

Two people entered the room, both in their late Forties, the male was dressed in a formal SAS Major's Uniform. The female was dressed in a smart dress suit with an MI6 ID.

"Major. Agent 009." The General said.

"Sir." The Major replied.

"I wanted you opinion on this." The General said, diming the lights and turning on the projector.

The screen showed a satellite thermal recording of an engagement between an assaulting group of twenty and a defending group of nine. The defending troops clearly defeated the attackers.

"Nice tactics for a small team." The Major said. "Get them into the blocking force then when they break cut them down with the heavy weapon."

"If I'm reading it right, those hot blotches are shielding spells. Their sniper is amazing for the shot through the flickering shield." Agent 009 said.

They continued their analysis for another twenty minutes. Finally the Major and the Agent rose to leave.

"I'll inform M." Agent 009 said.

"I'll get back to training the team." The Major said, before pausing. "Sir, they don't know that thermal scans and satellite imaging can defeat their obscuring spells, do they?"

"No." The General replied. "Best kept national secret is that we have had a satellite in Geosync orbit over Hogwarts since the 1980's."

With a final nod the two visitors left.

* * *

Everyone waiting had jumped slightly at the shot that had rung out a minute ago. Harry scanned the faces as he waited. Fred, George and Cedric, like himself, were still in their battle gear from the night before and weariness showed on their faces. Dumbledore, Sprout, Flitwick and Snape were also waiting, with the Headmaster trying to hide his frustration that he had been excluded from the interrogation, while Snape looked bored, pissed off and contemptuous all at the same time.

The door to the other room opened. The Grand Marshall, Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey emerged. Both of the adults looked green, while Hermione was calmly cleaning her hands with a rag. The Headmaster had insisted that a teacher be present and Madam Pomfrey had also insisted that a trained Mediwitch be present.

"We got the answer." Hermione said. "Professor McGonagall can brief the staff, my guys go get some rest. Full debrief at sixteen hundred. Dismissed."

In the instant before she turned and left, Harry saw her eyes soften and fill with pain. To his mind it was if the hardened warrior was gone to be replaced by someone who felt almost too strongly. The teachers filed out surrounding the Gryffindor Head of House and Madam Pomfrey went back to her office. The other Order members stayed for a second, turning to Harry.

"You need to go after her." Cedric said to Harry.

"What? Why?" he said, slightly dumbfounded.

"Come on Harry. Even we can tell that she needs someone to talk to." Fred said.

"And you know her better than any of us." George finished.

"She's changed so much, I'm not really sure if that is true." Harry replied.

There were times when she was just like she had been, a bit know-it-all, totally brilliant and full of idealism, other times she was cold, distant and hard, or would look at him in a odd way that welled up emotions he could neither identify nor deal with.

"Get after her, ya git." Fred finally said, pushing him out the door.

It was easy enough to follow Hermione, even with the Saturday morning sparse crowd, a student marching through in jungle BDU's carrying a P90 was a topic of discussion, and no one was about to disrupt the passage of a second, especially with the focused expression that Harry had unknowingly fixed on his face. It was not until he was out of the castle and following Hermione's tracks towards the Forbidden Forest that he realised that no one, even the one or two who had pointed to where Hermione had gone, had recognised him as the Famous Harry Potter.

A little into the Forrest, Harry crouched down checking Hermione's tracks, when he heard a branch break. His P90 instantly came up but he lowered it when it was just a Thestral Calf. He gave the calf a pat on the snout as he walked past and continued with his P90 at the ready. A few minutes later he came to the edge of a pond. Hermione was sitting out on a small, bare spit of land, looking across at a small clearing on the other side. As he approached the clear ground he let out a soft bird call.

"You can come out Harry." Hermione said.

Harry approached and sat down next to Hermione, placing his P90 on the ground. He knew he was supposed to say something, but he could not think of anything to say.

"You almost died here." Hermione said softly after a few minutes. "Right over there. Four weeks from now."

He knew this Hermione, this was the one he had spent the last few years with, mostly. There was sadness in her voice, and a sad smile caressed her lips. It was as if she was mourning the loss of something.

"So, what tried to kill me that time?" he asked, with a wiry smile.

"It was Dementors." Hermione said.

They sat there for the next few hours, Hermione telling the tale of their Third Year, last time around. It was just like old times.

* * *

"So they were after you and Harry?" Luna asked.

The Order members were seated in chairs around the briefing room in Hermione's trunk. Ron and Harry were sitting together on one side, Fred and George were together on the other. Neville was sitting in the row in front of Harry and Ron, with the rest scattered around the room, with Hermione at the lectern.

"Affirmative. They either wanted to kill Harry to get in Voldermort's good books or myself because they were insulted that a "Mudblood" was the Head of an Ancient and Noble house."

"Do you think they realise that by the very virtue of being the Head of an Ancient and Noble Magical House it means you aren't a Muggleborn?" Cedric asked.

"Probably not." Hermione admitted.

"They are Death Eaters. Stupidity is a requirement." Ron said.

Laughter broke out around the room.

"Alright Enough." Hermione said. "You all did exceptionally well, except for team two forgetting to announce themselves."

Fred, Ron and Susan all looked embarrassed, George giving his twin a playful nudge with his elbow.

"That aside. I consider you all to have sufficiently completed basic training. Report back here in twenty minutes in full dress uniform. Dismissed."

* * *

The Order was lined up in the front of the briefing room, with Hermione facing them. They were all dressed in the red uniforms with yellow trimming. Only Luna, Harry and Cedric's uniforms did not insignia, everyone else's uniforms showed Private Chevrons.

"Congratulations, Private Lovegood." Hermione said, shaking Luna's hand and waving her wand. A Private's insignia appeared on Luna's sleaves.

"Thank you." Luna replied.

Hermione took a step to her right, in front of Harry.

"Congratulations, Corporal Potter." She said, shaking his hand, and giving him his insignia.

"Thank you Ma'am." He replied.

She took another step to the right.

"Congratulations, Sergeant Diggory."

"Thank You, Grand Marshall." Cedric replied, glancing at his Sergeant's stripes.

Hermione did and about face, moved out and across to the middle of the line and turned to face the assembled troops.

"Congratulations everyone. Now fall in."

The squad fell in with Sergeant Diggory and Corporal Potter directly behind Hermione.

"Forward march." Hermione ordered.

Hermione lead the squad out of the trunk and down to the Great Hall where dinner was about to begin. As they entered the Great Hall everything stopped. The hall had been slightly rearranged so the Teacher's table had been moved slightly to the side, and down the front of the hall was a relatively small round table. Hermione led them strait down the central isle. With a nod, she ordered them to the new table before standing behind the podium that Dumbledore uses for his Welcome Feast speeches.

"Attention everyone." She announced. "Yesterday during dinner twenty Death Eaters attempted to infiltrate Hogwarts. They were stopped, but we can not assume this is the only attempt they will make. If you notice anyone unusual around Hogwarts or during a Hogsmeade Weekend please let one of the Order members know. Order member will be wearing this uniform. Thank you."

Hermione joined the rest of the order at their table, and the entire hall broke out into whispers.

TBC….


	12. Chapter 11

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

"No, that's not what I'm saying." Sirius said to the three people sitting across from him in his apartment. "I don't want to disband the Ministry or the Wizangamont. What I want is the separation of the judicial branch from the Administrative branch. The Court system needs to be independent of the Politicians. Too often political agendas have perverted trials. Money thrown at the right people can condemn or acquit a person. A single witness can be enough to get a prison sentence."

The two Wizards and one Witch listened as he spoke, the Witch slowly sipping her tea, but Sirius could see he was starting to loose their attention. He slid the three briefing documents across the coffee table.

"Look, all my recommendations are outlined in the documents before you. Look it over and think about it. Thank you for your time."

He stood up as his 'guests' gathered their things, and the documents, then shook their hands and then escorted them to the fireplace to floo away. Making sure the fire was out after the last one left; Sirius began to wash up the tea cups that his guests had been drinking. Just as he finished drying the last cup the doorbell rang.

In an instant Sirius had his wand out. He moved into the centre of the room, with the sofa between him and the door. A quick wave and the door opened, a spell half on his lips which died when he saw who it was.

"Damn it Moony. What the hell are you doing here?" Sirius demanded, lowering his wand.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. How are you?" Remus replied calmly, walking into the apartment.

"Shouldn't you be up at Hogwarts?"

Remus gave Sirius a look that conveyed amusement, frustration and surprise.

"Sirius, it's Saturday." Remus replied, shaking his head.

"Well in that case, let's go for Coffee."

Remus smiled as he followed Sirius out onto the street. Sirius' apartment was in a prosperous part of Muggle London. They walked to a nearby coffee shop and Sirius smiled to one of the waitresses as he walked in and held up two fingers, which got a nod from the waitress.

They sat down in a booth at the back of the café and did small talk for a few a minutes until the waitress delivered two coffee's, with a small smile.

"I come here every day." Sirius explained at Remus' glace. "So what's happening at Hogwarts?"

They sat for over an hour, sipping their coffee as Remus gave a rundown of the classes, Hermione's actions with the Bogart, the attack and Hermione's announcement, always making sure no one was close enough to overhear when they mentioned Magic.

"I can see why he married her." Sirius said with a laugh.

"Who married who?" Remus asked.

"You have to promise not to tell anyone what I am about to tell you." Sirius said, his face now with a serious expression. "I had to sware."

Remus thought for a second. There were very few occasions where he had seen that expression on his friend's face. One was when Sirius had declared that he intended to become an Animagus to help Remus. Another was the day James and Lilly had started dating.

"I sware." Remus said.

"In the future Hermione comes from she was married to Harry." Sirius said, before explaining what he had learned over Christmas.

Just as they were about to leave the waitress passed Sirius a scrap of paper. He read the note and nodded on his way out. He had been so busy with his political campaign, a night out with a beautiful lady was overdue.

* * *

"Fire Team One, Report." Harry ordered as he dashed towards the abandoned car, Susan close on his heels.

Susan fired off the last burst from her MP5, taking out an enemy and let the gun fall, trusting the strap to guide the weapon to her side as she drew her two pistols. Another enemy's head snapped back from Luna's sniper round. Harry and Susan hit the car, using it for cover. Harry had taken over command when Cedric got killed almost twenty minutes ago. George lay bleeding out in the open, having been hit as they crossed the courtyard.

"Two, this is One." Neville's voice came over the radio. "Ron is down. Fred is wounded."

Susan was shooting her pistols over the hood of the car. Neville popped out from around the corner of a building on the other side of the street, using it as cover.

Harry surveyed the situation and glanced at the satchel charge on his vest webbing.

"Cover me." He ordered, tossing his pistol to Susan, who gave him a look, knowing what he was thinking. "Just cover me."

Harry made a dash for the command centre's demountable building, firing off a burst from his P90. He got hit twice as he cross and fell, rolling under the demountable. He set the charge for two seconds, planted on the underside of the demountable and set it off.

The world exploded into white. Then the white faded to grey.

"Alright everyone." Hermione's voice cut through the now grey room. "Assemble in the Briefing room for a debrief."

Cedric, Susan, Harry, George, Fred, Luna, Neville and Ron all got up from their various positions around the simulation room and began to file into the briefing room, sitting around the room, with Hermione at the lectern.

"Ok, you have just completed a two week operation, with three distinct stages. Stage one was a nine day infiltration and surveillance operation, Stage two had your cover blown and was three days of urban escape and evade followed by stage three, a two day offensive to destroy defensive and command elements of the defending forces." Hermione began, before delving into a detailed analysis of the operation.

Three hours later, after the debrief and the team had showered, they gathered at the portal.

"Ok, we have reached 1:1 temporal ratio. On my mark, Hogwarts time will be seventeen Thirty hours. Ready, Ready, Hack."

A quick succession of beeps sounded as everyone reset their watches to Hogwarts time.

"Well, that was a long three hours." Ron said, sarcastically.

Thanks to the temporal dilation field of the chest, as far as the rest of the school was concerned they had been gone no more than three hours, rather than the two weeks of the exercise.

"Move out to Dinner." Cedric said, leading the way out of the chest.

* * *

Harry, George, Susan and Luna all trudged wearily in through the main doors, the morning sun pouring through the doors as if in mockery of their exhaustion. They were all dressed in full combat gear, with the now useless night vision goggles pushed up onto foreheads or hanging by straps around their neck.

"Alright everyone, Safety them." Harry ordered.

The four of them proceeded to remove the clips and magazines from their guns, and then clearing the chambered rounds. A quick succession of clicks ensued as each of the fire team pulled the trigger five times, their weapons pointed at the floor, to confirm that they were unloaded. Clips were placed in pockets, George's large drum magazine was secured in its own special pouch on his belt, and then the process was repeated with their sidearm's.

As the safety procedure was completed, Harry saw Hermione and Cedric coming down the main stairs. Both were dressed in Order uniform and Cedric was receiving back a stack of signed documents from Hermione. She signed and handed back the last as they reached the foot of the stairs. Cedric saluted, which Hermione returned, and then marched off down one of the corridors. Something welled up inside Harry, a feeling he could not put into words.

"Dismissed." Harry ordered, before heading over to Hermione to give his patrol report.

George headed up the main stairs towards the Gryffindor common room, while Susan and Luna linked arms and went to the Great Hall for breakfast, just like typical girls their age, only the combat clothing and weapons, Luna's long barrelled and scoped sniper rifle slung over one shoulder while Susan's MP10 hanging from a strap clipped to her vest, ruined the innocent image.

Harry stood at attention and snapped a salute, which she returned.

"How was the patrol?" Hermione asked, indicating he should walk with her as she started towards the Great Hall.

"Mostly uneventful. The Centaurs are on the alert. We encountered two of their patrols." Harry reported.

Hermione stopped, just short of the doors to the Great Hall.

"Two Patrols? Where?"

Harry pulled out his field map of the Forbidden Forrest, the clear plastic cover slightly dirty but the map was still clearly visible.

"First patrol was in Sector G9, grid square 42, 26. Right here. There were seven Centaurs. Frienze was one, and he told me the stars said something was coming. The second was in Sector F12, grid square 01, 65. That was only five Centaurs. One was only just past foal. She took a shot at Luna, but missed. When they saw who we were the apologised. Mirath, the one who took the shot, gave Luna one of her Clan badges as recompense. Luna is now allowed to any Clan Sandarth meetings she chooses to attend and will be welcome in Mirath's herd territory and village." Harry reported, before shaking his head in exhaustion and disbelief. "Luna liked it. She said she was either going to attach it to the stock of her L96A1 or her book bag. It's a toss up."

Hermione gave a slight smile as they finally entered the Great Hall.

"That's our Luna." She said.

Luna and Susan had joined Ron and Neville at the Order of the Griffin's table. The girls where animatedly describing the two encounters with the Centaurs. Hermione gave a headshake and a slight chuckle at the girls' antics. For some reason he could not understand, the way Hermione chuckled made Harry feel both sadness and a sense of loss.

* * *

The sun shone down on Hermione, the smell of the lake and grass filled her nose. She was resting with her head resting in Harry's lap, as he stroked her hair. An engagement ring on her hand but no wedding ring.

"You're losing him you know?" harry said.

She looked up into his eyes, her runners and jeans scraping the grass releasing the smell of chlorophyll. He was just how she remembered him… At age twenty.

"I know. But you must be safe." She replied.

"I'm not Harry." He replied. "This is only a dream."

Birds launched themselves off the lake as the sun touched the horizon over the water, bathing the area in a golden glow. Harry kept gently stroking her hair as they watched the water fowl do their evening areal dance.

"Can I keep you safe and not lose you?"

"You have to let Harry be Harry. And you need to figure out who you are." Harry replied.

Hermione nodded and lay still for a few minutes.

"I miss who he becomes." She said. "Can we pretend for a while?"

The Harry nodded and leaned down and kissed her. Then the world slipped away in a recollection of what was.

TBC…


	13. Chapter 12

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

Harry stood in the tunnel with the rest of the team waiting for the game to start. The entire team was dressed in their Quiddich armour, however Harry's had been modified to show the Order of the Griffin patch, a griffin clutching a wand in one claw and an assault rifle in the other, on the left hand shoulder guard and the Potter house crest on the right hand shoulder guard. Fred and George had also modified their left hand shoulder guard to show the Order patch. At Oliver's nod the team walked out on to the field just as the Hufflepuff team walked out the other tunnel. They all gathered around madam Hooch, and Harry noted that Cedric was also wearing the Order patch. This was the final for the Quiddich cup with Hufflepuff and Gryffindor not having faced each other since the first game of the season, before the Order had been formed.

"Alright, I want a good clean match." Madam Hooch said, releasing the Snitch and the Bludgers from the case.

She paused a moment and then she threw the Quaffle up in the air to start the game.

* * *

Harry was hovering over the pitch, watching the match and keeping an eye out for the snitch. The game was close, with Gryffindor only slightly in the lead at 90-80 after two hours of play.

The Gryffindor superior offensive skills matching off against the much improved Hufflepuff defence. Just as one of the Hufflepuff Chasers managed to get the Quaffle past Oliver Wood, Harry spotted the Snitch at the other end of the field. Harry took off after the snitch, with Cedric close behind. Cedric had much improved in his role as Seeker thanks to his Order training, yet Harry still had two advantages. One was his slightly better natural abilities. The other was the Weasley Twins. Harry flashed a hand signal at George as he passed, weaving in between two Chasers.

George passed on the plan to Fred through the special, private language the twins had developed. Cedric realised that something was happening but did not know what until the plan went into motion. He was close on Harry's tail when the first Bludger came in from the left. As he dodged it the second Bludger came in from the right, making him swerve again. Neither Bludger connected but they slowed him down enough to allow Harry to catch the Snitch.

Cedric pulled up next to Harry, with Fred and George coming up to hover besides them.

"Nice Pincer on the fly." Cedric said, before heading back to join his team.

* * *

Michelle woke early, disturbed by movement from her dorm mate.

"What are you doing up so early, Luna?" she asked.

"PT." Luna replied, doing up the laces of running shoes. "Short one today. Only three miles."

"Do you mind if I come?" Michelle asked. "I used to train with my father. He is a Sergeant in the Regiment."

"If you want." Luna replied, her voice ethereal.

Michelle had roomed with Luna long enough to read her voice and knew that Luna was happy that she had asked to come along. Michelle had been the only person in Ravenclaw who had not been at odds with Luna since day one. After quickly getting dressed in exercise clothes, Michelle followed Luna out to the large grassed area just in front of the main entrance to the castle.

When Luna started running, she started at a medium jog, slowly bringing up the speed to check Michelle's fitness level. Within the first half mile they had both reached the optimum speed for the run. Luna led the run around the lake, both them of them running in silence. On their final lap of the lake, while they were on the far side, the heavens opened and it began to pour. They finished the circuit and re-entered the Castle.

Both were both drenched and breathing heavily, having sprinted the last two hundred meters though the downpour. Suddenly the water drenching the two girls floated off of them, pooled up in a ball and floated out the still open door.

"Thank you, Boss." Luna said, not having looked up at Hermione from her bent over position.

"Miss Waters. How was your run?" Hermione asked.

Hermione was putting away her wand, with Harry standing at one shoulder, and Cedric standing at the other. All three were dressed in formal Order uniforms.

"Fine, Grand Marshall. Permission to grab some chow?" Michelle asked, standing at attention.

"Granted." The officer replied.

Michelle saluted and then went off to the Great Hall, and Hermione turned to Luna.

"Report. How was she?"

"Runs well. Good pacing." Luna said. "Her father is in the military. She has potential to be a decent spotter."

"Carry on. Go grab some chow."

Luna also saluted and turned to the Great Hall.

"She's got a point. None of the rest of us are decent spotters and she may need one." Harry said.

"I'll think on it." Hermione said. "At least it is good to see her with a friend outside the Order."

* * *

Minister Cornelius Fudge looked up at the Auror across the desk from him.

"Is this some kind of joke?" The Minister said, staring at the report.

"No Sir." The Auror replied. "We set up the discrete surveillance during the break when Sirius Black was still a fugitive. We managed to get that report on the incident."

"Are you trying to tell me that a bunch of third, fourth and fifth year students defeated twenty fully trained Wizards?"

"We recovered some of the bodies. At least five of them were verified Death Eaters. Two served short stints in Azkaban and the other three claimed the Imperious defence."

"Leave me." Fudge said.

The Auror turned and left. Fudge sat there, trying to imagine the scope of the change that this represented. This was all he needed, on top of the Black situation. Steps would have to be taken.

* * *

The rattle of gunfire echoed across the practice range. The line of men in BDU's were firing at targets with a series of lights in their chests.

"Smyth, McDougall. What are you doing?" an officer snapped at the men.

"Suppressing fire on the incoming squad, Major." Smyth replied.

"Sergeant. Remind Smyth and McDougall of the orders on concentrating fire." The Major ordered before continuing his tour of the training ground, leaving behind the Non-Com doing what they do best… yelling at troopers.

As he was finishing his tour a Sergeant came out of one of the barracks, notice the Major and made a b-line for him.

"Major. Permission to speak to you, Sir." The Sergeant said.

"My office." The Major said, leading the way.

When they reached the Major's office the Sergeant closed the door and, at the Major's gesture, sat on the chair facing the desk.

"Sir. I was thinking about these new drills. Do we have any idea how a nitrogen charge* will go up against their defensive capabilities?" the sergeant asked.

"There have been some discussions on that point. Nothing definitive has come from it." The Major said cautiously.

"Sir. Have the physics of it been discussed?"

"We don't really understand the physics of it." The Major replied, shaking his head.

"Sir, my wife went to the Scottish Boarding School. My daughter is there right now. As I understand it, from what my wife told me, their defences are based on a frequency oscillation." The Sergeant said.

The Major paused, considering the implications of both the frequency oscillation and the Sergeant's family revelation.

"I expect a full report on what you know from your wife, Sergeant Waters." The Major said. "But let's leave out exactly how you know it."

"Yes sir. Give my regards to your family." Waters said with a knowing smile.

* * *

The figure strode into the chamber, the dark red of his cloak taking on an even more disturbing tone from the scattered candles that lit the room.

"Everything is ready, just as you require Master." The servant said, bowing at the figure's side.

The figure waved a wrinkled old hand at the servant who quickly took his position at the far end of the room. Along that wall were three tiny cells, each holding a single prisoner. In one was the huddled form of a woman, her robes torn and dirty and her broken wand on the floor in front of the cell. The second held a man in combat fatigues, firmly tied up with ropes and dried blood running down his face. The third held a small female child, around the age of six who was weeping in the corner.

The figure moved to the centre of the room where a large circle awaited, lined by three rings of runes. He knelt slowly in the centre of the large circle, facing both the cells and a second, smaller circle that was linked to the main one by a line of runes. The man began to chant, softly at first but gradually growing quicker and lauder. After several minutes a noticeable red glow began to emanate from the runes.

When the runes were glowing brightly, the Master no longer needing to chant to keep the spell active, the servant moved to the first cell, opening the door and dragging the huddling witch out. With great care not to scuff the chalk lines, or allow any part of his body to enter the circle, the servant put the Witch into the smaller circle. The instant her feet touched the ground inside, her whole body went ridged and a scream was ripped from her throat. Before the servant's eyes, her body began to rapidly age and then disintegrated into dust.

Inside the large circle, the Master watched the back of his hands. The wrinkles smoothed over and the hands firmed up. The few liver spots faded.

"Voldermort was a fool." The Master said, his voice deep and rich. "Bring the next one."

In the following few minutes the Soldier and the Child followed the Witch into the smaller circle, both dying with blood curdling screams.

TBC…

* The Nitrogen Charge is the SAS signature weapon, using liquid nitrogen to freeze anything it touches.


	14. Chapter 13

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

"Harry. You ready?" Hermione asked, popping her head into the office of his private quarters.

"One second." Harry said, signing off on a final business document. "Just finishing."

He folded the document and sealed it. He gave it to Hedwig to deliver to Gringotts.

Standing, he straitened his formal Order of the Griffin Uniform and then sheathing the Potter Sword at his waist. He fell in besides Hermione as they made their way out of the private corridor into the Gryffindor common room, where they were joined by the Neville, Ron and the Twins, all also dressed in formal Uniforms. Today they all had both pistols and swords on their waists as part of the uniform.

They all made their way down to the Great Hall. They moved through the milling mss of students with ease, small gap forming around them as they made their way to the Gryffindor table, sitting together as a group, with Ginny joining them. Harry's searching eyes easily picked out Cedric and Susan sitting together at the Hufflepuff table, as well as Luna over t the Ravenclaw table, talking animatedly with Michelle. The small Order table had been removed and the house tables had returned to the original size.

"Welcome everyone to the end of year feast!" Dumbledore announced once everyone was mostly settled. "I will have some announcements later, including the Quiddich and House Cups, but for now, enjoy."

As usual the food then appeared, and it was obvious to all that the food was especially magnificent. The feast proceeded with various discussions flowing back and forth around the table.

"Sorry Ron. On the spot tactical decisions are Sergeant Diggory's decision. If you want to be left cover in breaching situations then talk to Cedric about it." Hermione said at one point.

"All I'm saying," Harry told George at another, "is that you might want to use a strap to secure your AA-12 to your vest. That way if you need to switch to your backup, you can just drop your AA-12 and the strap will hold it."

"So Justin got so fed up with the Muggle Studies teacher, he made the teacher sit the end of year exam on the material he had gone over." Neville said.

"How did the teacher do?" Hermione asked.

"Overall not too bad." Neville replied. "Justin gave him a pass. He got some things mixed up though. He thought that the Geneva Convention was a Soccer league."

Harry, Hermione and a muggle born Gryffindor sitting nearby all did a spit take at that revelation.

After the meal Dumbledore called for attention and announced that Gryffindor had won the House Cup and the Quiddich Cup.

"And I have one more announcement." The Headmaster continued. "Professor Lupin has, for personal reasons, resigned his post as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. He…"

The Headmaster stopped as Hermione rose from her seat, moved to the centre of the isle between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff house tables and turned to face Professor Lupin. She drew the Sword of Gryffindor and raised it, blade before her face in salute.

"Honour to Professor Lupin." She announced.

"Honour to Professor Lupin." Harry's voice came from directly next to her.

Harry was standing next to her, at full attention, saluting with the Potter Sword.

"Honour to Professor Lupin." Luna's ethereal voice said from the isle between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw house.

In short order, all of the Order members were standing saluting in the isles. For a minute silence fell, then from the Ravenclaw table a figure stood and began clapping. A second later Ginny joined Michelle in her standing ovation. Soon most of the Great Hall, even some Slytherins, stood applauding the DADA teacher.

* * *

The Clicky-Clack of the Hogwarts Express was soothing to Michelle as she sat in the cabin, watching the scenery as they approached London. The only other occupant of the cabin was Luna, dressed in civilian clothes, who was stretched out on the bench, using Michelle's lap as a pillow. Michelle knew that Luna had not been sleeping well, plagued by nightmares, but the blond had slept soundly on the train.

"Luna. Time to wake up." Michelle said, shaking Luna slightly to wake her.

Luna tuned slightly, opened her eyes and looked up at Michelle. Unconsciously Luna gave Michelle a beautiful and enigmatic smile that almost made her believe in the Muggle concept of Elves.

"We are pulling into Kings Cross." Michelle said.

Luna stretched, sitting up in the seat. They both grabbed their trunks and made their way off the train and onto the platform. The platform bustled, students with their trunks, Magical parents waiting on the platform. Luna quickly met up with her father. The girls hugged and then parted, Luna side-along apperating with her father. Michelle kept moving through the crowd. She noticed Lady Granger and Lord Potter go through the portal into Kings Cross station, a small gap around them. Michelle kept moving though the crowd, passing the red headed knot of Weasleys, finally making it to the portal.

She suffered the slight disorientation of passing though the portal, her eyes clearing to find her father standing among the milling crowd. He was dressed in his SAS working uniform, his Sergeant chevrons earning him a small space in the press.

"Hey sweetheart. How was school?" he asked, giving Michelle a hug and then they moved off through the crowded station.

* * *

There was much more to magical London than most Witches and Wizards realised, especially the Purebloods. Apart from the commonly known Diagon Alley and the darker Knockturn Alley, there was an entire network of streets. There were two or three exclusive streets with Pureblood London residences, but the vast majority were of the hidden Magical London was relegated to Muggleborn and Half and Half residences, most of them unemployed or relegated to minimum wage jobs in Magical London.

Apart from a few of the businesses in Diagon Alley, the only employers of Muggleborns in London was Gringotts and the Ministry, which had a definite glass ceiling. Many of the residents in this area were forced into the semi slums due to being limited in the Magical world but unable to really return the Muggle world due to their lack of formal Muggle education.

It was late in the evening when Hermione emerged from on of the houses. The young man, barely two years out of Hogwarts shook her hand as she left. In the month since the end of the Hogwarts year, Hermione had been recruiting in these semi slums, based on both personality profiles from Hogwarts and OWL and NEWT results.

Hermione stepped off the doorstep and turned to walk down the street when two men stepped out from the shadows in front of her. Four more approached from behind and across the street. Two things were immediately obvious. Firstly that these men meant trouble and secondly that they were most defiantly not Death Eaters. The men were dressed in a mix of Muggle clothing and Wizarding Robes. The men spaced themselves around her in a circle a few feet away.

There was no posturing, no witty banter or snide insults. As soon as the men were set, they attacked. As fast as they moved, Hermione was just as fast. She used the Sword of Gryffindor to parry the spell that had been cast from the one of the men in front, deflecting it into the pavement where it went off with a small explosion, while shooting the man charging with a knife from her left rear with her pistol twice in the chest.

Hermione's world shrunk down into a circle a few feet across. Slash, block, pot-shot with the pistol, parry, dodge. She moved, second to second, reacting as the co-ordinate attacks as she slowly took down her attackers. One fell to a reflected spell, another died from the tip of her sword penetrating his throat. A second attacker fell to pistol fire.

She took an opportunity to run the second last attacker through the stomach, but this left her open to the last man, who took the opening and pain flared in her back. As she went down she shot off one final burst from the pistol that stitched up the last attacker's body.

The recruit came as soon as the battle was over, knowing better than to interrupt during the combat. Hermione whispered something and the recruit gathered her up and apperated away.

* * *

Pounding at the door quickly got Harry's attention and he went to the door of his London apartment. He no longer wanted or need to live with his Aunt and Uncle, but did not feel comfortable living in one of the large Potter properties or houses scattered around the UK and beyond, so he had moved into this apartment close to the heart of both Magical and Muggle London. He opened the door and found a young man holding Hermione, who was hunched over and had blood staining her back.

"She was ambushed by six guys." The man said. "She took a hit in the back."

"Put her over there." Harry said, indicating to a couch as he grabbed his first aid kit. "I assume they are all dead?"

The young man nodded and Harry pulled out a mobile phone.

"George. Grand Marshall was ambushed, so we need a clean up. Six packages." Harry said, before handing the mobile over to his guest. "Give him the address."

Harry unpacked the first aid kit, grabbing the scissors and cutting off Hermione's shirt to get access to the wound. Her back, stomach and arms had a number of small wounds but the one on her lower back was the big issue. Harry quickly cleaned it with sterilised water, then disinfected it, which caused an involuntary gasp from the semi-conscious patient. He quickly dressed the wound, which luckily was not life threatening. He grabbed one of his spare shirts and slipped it on Hermione before putting her to bed in his spare room.

"Hey, George wants to speak to you." The young guy said, holding out the mobile.

"Thanks" Harry said, taking the phone. "George, you do the clean up?"

While he was listening the young man indicated that he was going to leave, to which Harry nodded.

"Ok. Sounds like you got there first. She's going to be ok. Bad hit to the back, but I have done first aid. If she does not start to recover in the next day or so I'll take her to see Madam Pomfrey. Yeah, the recruit is heading home. I'll see you in a few days. Bye."

Harry hung up the mobile, and went to check on Hermione. Finding her asleep, laying on her stomach, he went to his own room to get some sleep.

'I saw Hermione's breasts.' Was the last thought that ran through his head before sleep claimed him.

TBC…


	15. Chapter 14

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

"What just happened?" Young Hermione Granger asked, pushing several of the fallen books off her lap at the library table.

"We got hit." The Grand Marshall replied, thumping the no longer operating holographic table

"No shit. Why did we get hit?" Hermione Potter asked, picking herself up off the floor.

"I had to leave an opening to get the fifth guy. If I didn't we would be dead." The Grand Marshall said.

"I'm not getting anything on the external feeds." Hermione Potter said.

"We are in a coma." Young Hermione said, opening another book. "Harry will take care of us."

"Why did we go to Harry?" The Grand Marshall said, rounding to face Hermione Potter. "Or were you just thinking about your husband?"

"He was closest and it would give away the least to the recruit. Anyone else and Dumbledore would have gotten involved." Potter replied, earning a grunt from the Grand Marshall. "And I am always thinking of my husband."

* * *

Hermione stood on the observation deck, looking through the black of space at the hunk of rock that would be her new home. She had fought a second war against Voldermort's son and had lost the last of her old friends and most of her new ones. Just when they thought the war was won, the Dark Lord had stolen a spaceship and fled Earth. After that the whole world had seemed like a graveyard, haunted by the echoes of all those she had lost. Despite her fame, in the Magical world as a Hero of two wars and in the Muggle as the person most responsible for the great Space Colonisation, she had signed on this ship, establishing a mining colony, as a simple miner.

The weight of her life support suit pressed comfortably on her shoulders as Hermione searched through the underground network of passages. The torch light was the only illumination as she rounded a corner and came upon a large a cavern, its walls glittering with valuable metals and its arched ceiling almost reaching the planetoid's surface. This is where she would stake her claim. She spun around at a noise, her dress swirling around her legs and the familiar weight around her temples, as she turned to face Harry. She was still in the same cavern but it looked very different.

The floor was smooth and polished; the natural columns had been carved and decorated. The original tunnel had now developed into a proper corridor, with gilded doors. The roof of the cavern had gone, now replaced by a clear dome that gave the most spectacular view in the galaxy. Amongst other stellar phenomenon one could observe a brilliant blue nebula being slowly devoured by a black hole. In the centre of the room there was a large throne.

"How bad is it?" Hermione asked.

For five hundred years she had mined this cavern. When the planetoid, Mangath, had been mined out, instead of abandoning the colony, it became the centre of administration as they began their own process of colonisation of the worlds around them. For three hundred years she had ruled the colonised worlds, known as the Empire of the Eastern Reach, of which she was Empress.

"Pretty bad." Harry replied.

Hermione nodded. This room had never been this deserted after it had become the throne room. Advisors, petitioners, guards, there had always been someone around. Now it was just her and Harry, watching the cosmic dance above. The throne room of Mangath was known across human space as the single greatest stellar observatory in existence.

Suddenly the scene changed. Guards firing. The bodies of advisors on the polished floor. A guard dragging her to the ground, his body shielding her from spells and bullets. The last attacker being cut down by a burst from a dying guard. Then there was silence. The silence was shattered by Hermione's scream. A scream of rage, pain and hate. She was lost to herself and would remain that way for a very long time.

* * *

Harry walked into the spare room of his apartment, moving to the bed side to check on Hermione and the intravenous drips keeping up both her fluids and nutrient levels. She had been unconscious for two days. Yesterday Susan had come around to clean Hermione's wound and give her a sponge bath. If she did not wake in the next few hours then Harry would call Madam Pomfrey. Having checked the drips, Harry turned to leave when he heard a groan. Harry turned back and saw Hermione start to open her eyes.

"Hey." He said, as she focused her eyes on him. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore." She replied. "Water."

Harry quickly grabbed a glass of water and helped Hermione drink it.

"You would have loved Mangath." Hermione whispered before falling into a normal sleep.

Harry took the glass back out to the kitchen, feeling relived that Hermione had come out of her coma.

* * *

Hermione winced as the healing wound on her back stretched as she performed the slash with her wooden training wand. It had only been a week since she awoken from her brief coma, and she had been working out, slowly at first, in order to keep her mobility and flexibility. Some medical advances included in the infirmary in her chest had sped up the healing process. Her sparring opponent noticed the wince as she blocked the strike.

"You alright, Major?" the woman asked.

Hermione's sparing partner was fairly compact but had a lithe physique. Her dark redish brown hair was held back from her face in a simple ponytail. Like Hermione she was dressed in a pair of track pants and a tank-top, the only difference being the medical patch on Hermione's lower back covering the healing wound.

"I think that's enough for today, Captain." Hermione replied. "What do you think Harry?"

"I think you push yourself too hard." Harry replied from the door, where he had just entered the simulation room.

"Who's you friend, Major?" the sparring partner asked.

"Oh, sorry." Hermione said. "Captain Jenny Weasley, meet Harry Potter. Harry, Jenny Weasley."

"Nice to meet you. I have heard good things about you." Harry said, shaking Jenny's hand.

"Always nice to meet a friend of the Major's. She has so few." Jenny replied. "Potter, huh? You related to the Major?"

"Computer. Shut down simulation." Hermione ordered and Jenny froze then disappeared.

"What did she mean by that?" Harry asked.

"Must have been some errors in the data stream." She replied.

"Just wanted to let you know that the first of the new recruits have arrived. Sergeant Diggory is setting them up in barracks one." Harry said.

"Thanks." Hermione replied, towelling off her sweat. "I'll be out shortly to brief you, Cedric and Luna on the first phase of training."

* * *

Hermione walked into her parent's house, her back still aching from the now mostly healed wound. Her parents were sitting in the living room.

"How was your stay with your friends?" Jane Granger asked.

"It was fine." Hermione said, completely exhausted.

"Dinner will be in two hours." Jane said.

"Right." Hermione said, heading upstairs.

"Do you think she has any idea?" Peter Granger asked when Hermione was out of earshot.

"Not a clue." Jane replied.

* * *

Cornelius Fudge fumed as he watched the Wizarding Parliament in the aftermath of the vote. Only with the multiple votes of Lord Potter and Ruling Lady Granger had managed to get the damn Judicial Separation act over the line. The two young upstarts were standing with the bloody thorn in his political side Sirius Black. He had to do something to get those three under control. The members were dispersing when he saw two other youngsters, a pair of boys maybe a year older than Potter and Granger, one a redhead and the other a brunette, both dressed in some kind of uniform in red trimmed in yellow.

As they exited the chamber he saw the two youngsters pass a bundle each to Potter and Granger. When he saw what was contained in the bundles an idea was sparked in his devious political mind. This would neutralise Potter and Granger and severely weaken Black.

* * *

Harry walked along the ministry corridors with Sirius and Hermione, adjusting the hang of the Potter sword at his belt. Fred and Cedric, dressed in formal Order uniforms, were providing an honour guard. Hermione and Sirius were discussing the vote and how close the vote was.

Harry was frustrated. Several weeks had passed since he cared for Hermione in her coma but she had barley spoken to him about anything other than the training regime for the new Order members, who had almost graduated, or the vote. He had saved her life and she had barely even acknowledged it.

"So. Restaurant or takeout?"

Harry looked up from his thoughts.

"What?" he said.

"I'm buying you dinner as a thanks. So you want to go out or get take away?" Hermione repeated.

"It was just the vote." He replied.

"Not for the vote. For the other week."

Harry gulped.

TBC…

OMAKE.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Susan all sat around Harry's apartment having a chill out session. Hermione occasionally wincing from her wound.

"Man you are so lucky Harry." Ron said.

"What exactly do you mean by lucky?" Harry replied.

"Money. Fame. This sweet apartment." Ron clarified.

"You really want to know how lucky I am?" Harry said, an edge to his voice.

Harry looked around and saw confusion from most of his friends, except Hermione who had a look of both regret and resignation. She knew what he was about to say.

"Twenty-two broken bones. Three skull fractures. A perforated eardrum. Two dislocated shoulders. Four broken ribs. A punctured lung. A ruptured spleen. Nine concussions." He paused for a second. "And two suicide attempts. And that was all before anyone was actively trying to kill me."

"Holy Shit!" Ron said.

"Merlin." Susan breathed. "But there was no evidence of that on your last Order medical."

"Why do you think I spent so much time in the Infirmary at the end of First Year. The damage from the battle with Quirril was healed in a matter of hours."

"I stand corrected." Ron said softly.


	16. Chapter 15

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

Hermione watched the Order members going through the class drills for the day. Today these drills were not weapons related, or tactical planning. Today it was French. Marie St Clair from Second Squad, was helping with the lesson. Marie was born and had lived in France until age 10, when her family moved to England due to her Muggle father's work.

Hermione had grown up with trips France so she had naturally learnt French. There were two magical methods to communicate in another language. The first was a simple translation program which used a master phrase book to translate languages directly as the person spoke and was spoken to. The second method, which was the one the Order was using, imparted a basic understanding of the language with a broad vocabulary. It still required practice, but you could learn an entire language in a matter of days. So the Order was practicing their French under Marie's supervision.

Two days ago she had bought Harry dinner as a thank you. Hermione found him incredibly cute when he was embarrassed. In the end, due to his embarrassment, they ended up having take-out Chinese back at his apartment and watched some movies. All in all it was a typical evening of teenage friends.

* * *

At first glance the group of seven seemed like a typical hiking trip of a Father, his four children and two of the children's friends. On second glance, to the trained eye, it looked more like it actually was. A military group escorting two civilians. Arthur Weasley was out front, leading the way, with George providing escort, the younger Weasley's hands seeming to itch for his combat shotgun. The rest of the team was slightly behind in a diamond formation with Ginny in the middle. Harry was on point, much to Ginny's delight as she watched his ass the entire time, with Hermione and Ron in flanking positions and Fred brining up the rear.

When the group reached the top of the hill another man was waiting. Arthur called out a greeting to Amos Diggory as they approached. When they were a few feet away, Cedric dropped out of a tree, flashing a quick hand signal that the area was clear.

"Diggory." Hermione greeted.

"Granger." Cedric replied with a nod, before taking up his position flanking his father, who was walking next to Arthur.

They soon arrived at the point of departure and the portkey pulled them away to the Quiddich World Cup.

"I hate Quantum Tunnelling without a proper shell." Hermione said softly when they landed.

Only Harry heard her and he gave a slight smile. No one else would have understood anyway.

* * *

With a sigh, Hermione rose into the pail darkness, awoken from her sleep by the pain in her back and the fading memory of a dream of fire, death and pain. The smell of burning flesh, hot metal and burning trees filled her senses for a few seconds. She slowly rose from the bed, making sure not to wake Ginny who was sleeping next to her. She padded out of the small bedroom section of the tent that contained Ginny and her bed. She walked out into the living room area of the tent and sat down on the couch.

"Can't sleep?" Harry asked, emerging from the kitchen with a glass of milk.

"Bad dream. You?" she replied.

"Don't know really. Excited about the game tomorrow, bit of an odd dream I guess." Harry said, joining her on the couch. "So what was your bad dream about?"

"Death." Hermione replied. "It was a crash of a Drop Ship. We were invading one of the planets in the Magellan Cluster when my Drop Ship was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Fifty-six troops and crew. Twelve died in the impact, another six burned to death. Only seven of us made it out after a two week trek through hostile forest. Four of them were killed in the subsequent assault on main fortress of that world."

"Shit. That's a bad dream." Harry said, getting a nod from Hermione. "And the other two?"

"One was Jenny Weasley. The other eventually became the head of the Order's Elite Scout and Sniper division, the Slytherins. His name was James Malfoy."

Harry put his hand around Hermione's shoulder, in an innocent gesture of comfort not one of intimacy. Hermione put her head into the crook of neck and simply revelled in the closeness.

* * *

The servant approached the Master on his throne. It was not a dark, foreboding thing that Voldermort would use, rather it was a regal marble throne.

"All is in readiness, my Master." The servant said, "Our troops are in position, ready to go at your command."

"Very good. Wish them good luck for me." The no longer old Master replied.

* * *

Ron, Harry and the Twins were celebrating in the aftermath of the World Cup match. They had been treated to a spectacular show from the Potter House Executive Box. The match had still ended with Ireland winning yet Victor Krum catching the Snitch, yet the score was more that a little different than Hermione remembered from last time.

When the commotion started outside, only one of the six inside the tent mistook it for the celebration of the Irish.

"Emergency kits!" Hermione snapped, sending everyone except Ginny running for their backpacks.

* * *

"Master!" the Servant called, rushing back into the throne room. "The Death Eater's have launched an attack before we could make our move."

"Begin the operation. Target the Death Eaters first." The Master ordered.

"All Troops." The Servant said into a radio handset. "Operation Market Garden is a go. Repeat Market Garden is a go. Sweep for pests before ploughing the fields."

* * *

Harry, Ron, Fred, George and Hermione were finishing their prep when Arthur Weasley burst into the tent. They had all transfigured their clothes into combat fatigues, and pulled their combat harnesses, weapons, radios and camouflage paint out of their emergency bags. Ron was helping Fred with the box feed of his M249 SAW. George was securing spare drums of shotgun shells to their special holders on his belt. Harry and Hermione were applying camouflage paint onto each other's faces.

"Are they Death Eaters and how many?" Hermione asked Arthur as he entered.

Arthur was stunned for a moment as he saw three of his children and his youngest Son's two best friends so utterly different from when he had left. Before he could recover the unmistakable sound, to the Order members at least, of gunfire erupted from outside, but not near the tent.

"All Griffins report. Who had contact?" Hermione ordered into the radio.

"Sergeant Diggory here. Negative Contact. I'm Seven Hundred Meters due West of stadium gate 7, South-West corner. Gunfire to the North of my Position."

"PFC Bones here. Negative Contact. Have met up with PFC Longbottom, and Private's Marks, Watson and Jones. North of Stadium. Fight seems to be South West of us."

"Sergeant Miller. West-North-West sector. Had eyes on twelve Death Eaters forty seconds ago but lost contact. Have Corporal Smith and Privates Skinner, St Clair, McDonald, Kerry and Radcliff. We are not engaged. Repeat we are not engaged. Another force is here with guns."

"PFC Lovegood. Setting up overwatch with Private Waters on second level of stadium."

"Corporal Hussey. Located just South-East of Sergeant Diggory's location with Private's Li and Carter. We just saw a force of troops moving North-West. Mixed group armed with Wands and Assault Rifles. Well drilled. Defiantly not Death Eaters."

Hermione waited a few seconds for anyone else to call in.

"Grand Marshall. Due West of Stadium. With Corporal Potter, and all Three PFC Weasley's. Corporal Hussey, move to meet up with Sergeant Diggory. Bones…."

Whatever Hermione was about to say next was cut off by a series of explosions.

"Luna, report."

"Explosions to the North-North-West and West. Looks to be the Apperation and Portkey sites."

"Bastards." George muttered.

"OK. Listen up. Sergeants. You are both going to have to deal with the targets in your areas with the forces you have. Bones. Take your group to the Northern Apperation point. Take and hold. Process through people if you can, but you have got to hold that point. My team will take the Western Apperation and Portkey site. Lovegood. Provide sniper support to the teams as you can. Remember everyone there are a lot of non-combatants around, so check your fire."

A rapid series of acknowledgements came across the radio from the team leaders.

"Mister Weasley. Ginny. Stay in the tent, it will be safer for now. Alright team, let's move out."

The five Order members swiftly moved out of the tent, their guns swinging in arcs to cover each other.

* * *

Sergeant Peter Miller stalked through the tent city, the improvised squad arrayed around him. Only Privates Samantha Skinner, Marie St Clair and Byron Kerry were from his second Squad. Corporal Smith and Privates McDonald and Radcliff were from third squad.

Skirting around one last tent the squad came across the site where the mysterious combatants had made contact with the Death Eaters. The devastation was indiscriminate. Peter reconstructed the scene from the damage pattern.

Firstly the Death Eaters had come through, setting fire to a few of the tents. One Wizard had tried to fight back and was literally cut in half by a cutting curse. Then the Mystery group had arrived on the scene. Seven of the twelve Death Eaters were cut down before they had realised they were under attack. One of the Mystery group got hit and died before the remaining Death Eaters were killed. The Mystery group had then moved off, shooting several fleeing Witches and Wizards.

"Secure the site. Marie, check the soldier. Byron, pick up their trail." Peter ordered, before switching to the radio. "Grand Marshall, this is Sergeant Miller. We have come across the prior contact site. The Mystery soldiers seem to be targeting Death Eaters first, then civilians."

"Private St Clair here. We have a downed Mystery soldier. No identification or distinguishing marks. Armed with an AK-47."

"Confirmed." Hermione's voice came back over the radio. "Secure the weapon and pursue."

"Rodger." Peter replied, before turning to his troops and issuing orders.

* * *

Susan Bones led Marks and Jones assaulted the Northern Apperation point from the West while Neville came in with Watson from the east. The two teams moved in with well timed efficiency, noting but not being distracted by sporadic fire from the south and the sustained fire fight off to the West. Sweeping in they found the field undefended. Suspecting a trap, Susan set everyone up in defensive positions while she checked the area.

"Shit." She exclaimed.

"What?" Neville asked.

"They took out the ward anchor stones." Susan explained.

The Anti-Apperation wards extended for several miles in every direction around the stadium, however at the designated Apperation points, several anchor stones had been set up to create a gap in the field allowing a controlled flow of Apperations. When these stones had been destroyed, then the ward had snapped back over the hole.

"Boss. The Anti-Apperation wards are in full force here. The anchor stones are destroyed. There is only one way out, strait through your position." Susan informed over the radio.

"Copy Bones." Harry's voice came over the radio, heavy fire clear in the transmission. "You're orders are to sweep South-West. Co-ordinate with Sergeant Miller. Ambush and exterminate the northern tango's at your combined discretion."

Susan nodded to herself, before signalling her team to move out.

"Orders received and acknowledged." She radioed, falling in beside Neville, her MP10 covering left while his M16 covered right.

TBC…


	17. Chapter 16

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

A series of grenade explosions went off on the other side of the gateway opening and First Squad moved through the gap, weapons blazing. Hermione was in the lead, heading strait in, while Harry covered to the right, both of their P90's firing in rapid, short burst, counterpointed by the heavier thumping of George's combat Shotgun as he covered the left. Ron and Fred followed them in, picking off any targets that escaped the fire of the others, Fred having swapped his heavy SAW for the greater accuracy of his pistol.

The seven defending Mystery troops were all quickly killed, either from the shrapnel damage of the grenade salvo or from the deadly accurate fire.

"Fred, George, take the towers, they'll provide good fields of fire." Hermione ordered. "Harry, Ron, dig in at the edge of the gate. Looks like these bastards don't have grenades, but we still need to hold here until the sweep teams have cleared the tent city. This is the only way in or out, so any Death Eaters or these bastards will try to break out here. Don't forget to check inward as well in case of enemy reinforcements."

The Western Apparition and Portkey site itself was quite large and under normal circumstances would have impossible to defend with just five people. The organisers had been extremely security conscious, though their intent was to contain rabid fans and stop gate crashers. An entire security perimeter had been set up around this entry point, complete with ditches, a twelve foot high fence and six guard towers, one at each corner and two flanking the gateway into the tent city. There were also a number of containment wards that prevented spells passing over or contacting the walls. It was the kind of fortification most ancient muggle militaries would have trembled at the though of trying to attack. But when dealing with crowds where almost every single individual is capable of destroying an ordinary wall with the flick of a wrist, these measures were considered nominal crowed control.

The practical upshot, as far as the Order was concerned, was that five magicals, well armed with modern Muggle firearms in addition to their wands, would be able to make any attacker pay dearly for any attempt to storm their position.

* * *

Luna and Michelle had set up their overwatch position on the fourth tier of the stadium. Luna was covering the southern team commanded by Cedric while Michelle was covering the two northern teams.

"Bones, sweep around to your left. Miller, the Mystery team is two rows east of your position; Bones' team is north of your position." Michelle said into the radio, scanning the North West sector with her Spotter's scope.

Luna swept the South West sector through her rifle's powerful scope. She saw four distinct flashes of movement. One was Sergeant Diggory, Corporal Hussey and Private Carter. The second was a group of ten Death Eaters. The third was twelve Mystery Troops. The fourth, barely visible even to Luna's trained eye and powerful scope, was Private Li, one of the Spotters in Luna's Scout/Sniper section and she was probably the best stealth operator in the Order. Private Kathryn Li had already taken out four of the Death Eaters and two Mystery troopers without either side noticing.

"Cedric, Luna. Over." Luna said into her radio, operating on a different frequency to Michelle and the Northern team.

"Cedric receiving. Over."

"Cedric, you have a Dozen Mystery Troopers to your North East and a half-score Death Eaters to your West." Luna said. "Scratch that. Eleven Mystery Troopers. Li just knifed another one."

Both Luna and Michelle were so focused on their tasks they failed to notice that their feet were touching and absently playing footsies with each other.

* * *

Cedric held up his hand to call a stop and knelt down into cover behind a tent.

"Li, hold position." Cedric ordered over the radio. "Hussey, Carter. You two head West and do hit and run on the Death Eaters. On my order use single shots and draw them North East. I'll hook up with Li and we'll use wands to draw the Mystery Troopers South West. Luna, keep us coordinated so that we can get them to engage each other. Then we'll ambush the survivors."

Cedric got confirmations from Li and Luna over the radio and nods from Hussey and Carter. Hussey and Carter moved off to the west, both slipping quietly into the shadows with their assault rifles raised. Cedric slung his M16 over his shoulder and drew his wand.

He sneaked through the abandoned streets of the tent city, carefully approaching the last reported position of the Mystery Troopers. At the clearing of a throat he spun, his wand raised.

"Another two feet and you would get your head blown off." Li whispered.

Kathryn Li was little and lithe, barley five foot tall, and her fine Asian features forming an exotic, ageless beauty and her long, strait hair kept back in a braid. The long form of her Sniper rifle was cross slung across her back, made look even bigger by her small frame and the strap crossed between her breasts, drawing attention to her small but well formed assets. Her wand was held firmly in her left hand.

In some ways Li reminded Cedric of Cho Chang from school. In their own way each was beautiful. They were both quiet and reserved under normal circumstances, although Li had a kind of controlled intensity that Cho lacked. Both were also very confident in physical situations, Cho on the Quiddich Pitch and Li on the battlefield.

"I am in position." Cedric said over the radio.

"All ready here, Sergeant." Hussey replied.

"Go. Go. Go." Cedric ordered.

Cedric and Li started shooting spells from the shadows at the Mystery Troopers while to the South West Hussey and Carter began firing into the Death Eaters.

* * *

The servant came in and bowed before the Master.

"Report." The Master said.

"Initially things went well, they achieved the objective. Then Her forces came into play. Team One is currently engaged with Her forces. Team Two is dealing with a remaining group of Death Eaters. Team Three is not responding and are considered down. What are your orders?" the servant asked.

"Activate Teams Four and Five. Have them take and hold Team Three's objective. Which team has it?" The Master asked.

"Team One, Master."

"Detail a member of Team One to break off and offload it to a member of Team Six. Team Six is not to activate. All else fails they can smuggle it out."

"Yes Master."

* * *

"Reloading." George called out, reaching around to pull out the last drum mag for his combat shotgun. "Last one."

After reloading George popped back up from behind the tower's parapet and levelled his shotgun at a closing group of Mystery troopers, the heavy round shredding two of them. He saw a number of the enemy falling back.

"Hold fire." Hermione called from her position down by the gate. "Ammo count."

"Last Mag." George called out.

"Half a belt." Fred said from the other tower.

"I'm Dry. Two clips left on my pistol." Ron added.

"Two clips." Harry said.

"Last clip for me." Hermione declared. "Ron. Make them count."

Hermione tossed two of her pistol clips to Ron. The clear space in front of the gates was littered with dead Mystery Troopers, twenty in all, from the three assaults they had launched so far. Everyone was getting ready for the next assault. Harry was binding a bullet hole on his thigh. Fred was checking his SAW for blockages. Then they settled down to wait.

They did not have to wait long. The troopers emerged from cover in a hail of bullets and spells. Fifteen of them charging across the kill zone, but the Order did not open fire until they were half way across the gap. Four were instantly cut down by the concentrated fire but unlike previous assaults they did not break. Several of the attackers dropped down into cover behind some of the bodies of their fallen comrades. But four of them kept coming. One was taken down eight feet away by a pistol round to the head from Ron. Harry and Hermione dropped their P90's and drew their swords.

George was not able to watch Harry and Hermione engage them as he had to duck into cover from the incoming fire. A few seconds later he popped back up to see the attacking Mystery Troopers under fire. Not from Fred. They were being flanked by the other members of the Order. One, who thought himself safely behind cover when his head disintegrated from Luna's sniper round.

* * *

From the South came Cedric's team, who came in with plenty of cover. Unfortunately for Sergeant Miller and Susan Bone's teams coming from the north had far less cover for them and the Troopers had a good defensive position behind a potion of wall that did not provide much cover to the gates but plenty from the new attack vector.

The Northern team attacked but did not have a good angle on the troopers. Kerry and McDonald made a break for another set of cover but they both got hit and fell. Neville and Marie St Clair tried moving flanking around through the tents. During one of the gaps Marie got hit in the shoulder but made it to the next cover.

"You ok?" Neville asked.

"Wi. It's a through and through." Marie replied. "Head on. I'll hold here."

Neville nodded and headed around the next corner and saw he was close enough to get a grenade in. Unfortunately one of the Mystery troopers had spotted his movement. He got the grenade away but his left arm, the only part of him exposed, was blown off.

* * *

Hermione pulled the sword out of the chest of the Mystery Trooper and looked around. The other two who had made it to the gate were dead, as were all the other attacking Mystery Troopers.

"Report." Hermione ordered.

The teams began reporting with injuries and casualties.

There were three dead. Privates Kerry, McDonald and Corporal Hussey. There were a lot of injuries, except for Luna and Michelle everyone had at some injury, but the worst was Neville's severed left arm and Skinner who had lost the lower part of her right leg. The process of cleanup was underway, the snipers having joined them after the battle, when they hear a rapid series of pops, the unmistakable sound of Apperation within the enclosure. All of the Order members, except those tending to Neville and Skinner, turned to face the gates levelling assault rifles or Pistols, if they had ammunition, or Wands for those whose guns were dry.

"Stand down." Hermione ordered when almost a dozen Aurors, including Amelia Bones, Susan's Aunt, emerged through the gates.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing?" one of the Aurors asked.

Amelia Bones, one of the most senior Aurors shot the jumped up little man a glare, her curiosity piqued by the presence of her Niece.

"We were doing your job. And unless you want to be shot, or go to prison, you are to formally apologise and address me as Lady Granger, or Grand Marshall." Hermione snapped at the offending Auror.

"Lady Granger. Amelia Bones, Senior Auror, Team Leader of Response Team Six. A Formal apology will be issued in writing and a formal caution will be issued to Provisional Junior Auror Fudge." The second in command of the Auror Department said. "May I request a debriefing from one of your… team, and offer any assistance?"

"You got medics?" Hermione asked.

"Nicolson. Front and Centre." Amelia shouted.

"Susan, go debrief you Aunt. Ron, don't even think of sniggering. Harry, take Nicolson to see to our wounded. Sergeant Diggory, Sergeant Miller, coordinate with the Aurors to secure the area and start processing the civilian evacuation." Hermione ordered.

* * *

"Well." The Master asked.

"Master. We lost all of Teams One through Five, but a member of Team Six managed to smuggle it out." The Servant said.

"Good. We will need to organise a memorial service for our honoured fallen." The Master replied.

"Yes, Master."

TBC...


	18. Chapter 17

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

The Hogwart's express was packed with students milling around in the corridor. Harry, Hermione, Neville, Ron, Ginny and Susan had a cabin to themselves. Ginny watched in rapt fascination as Neville used a long, thin screwdriver to adjust some of the joints in the wrist of the skeletal, mechanical replacement left arm.

"The arm giving you trouble?" Hermione asked.

"Not really. Just a loose connection, the wrist was a bit lax." Neville replied.

"Won't that stop working at Hogwarts?" Ginny asked. "Muggle Technology is not supposed to work at School."

"Only electronics are affected by strong ambient magic fields. The arm is mostly hydraulic, but the electronics in it are shielded."

"What Hermione is trying to say," Harry clarified, "Is that the arm will still work at School because it is designed to."

The train continued and the conversation wandered, as teenage conversations usually did, until it was interrupted by a tap at the window. Susan quickly lowered the window and stuck her hand out into the slipstream to retrieve the totally exhausted postal owl. Taking a look at the letter's address, Susan passed it to Hermione. She read the letter then, slowly and coldly, passed it to Harry, who scanned the letter.

"Son of a bitch." Harry exclaimed. "We don't have the political capital to block this do we?"

"No. We used it all on the Judicial Separation act." Hermione replied.

"What's the act and who proposed it?" Susan asked, being slightly more politically astute than the others.

"Minister Fudge. He has proposed a bill making any organisation with structured groups trained for combat or peacekeeping operations that do not have government sanction guilty of treason and punishable by execution." Hermione replied, her voice level and lacking emotion, letting Harry and Ron at least know that she was exceedingly angry.

"Why would he do that? It seems designed to get us." Ron said.

"Unofficially, probably because he fears Harry, Sirius and I since we got that bill passed. Officially it was due to the attack on the World Cup by forces unknown." Hermione responded.

"And it is probably vindictive too. The Auror that the Grand Marshall and my Aunt embarrassed is Minister Fudge's youngest son." Susan added. "Rumour is that the Minister pulled some strings to get him in the Auror program."

"So because you were so well equipped to counter the guys who attacked, he wants you gone too?" Ginny asked.

"Basically." Neville replied. "The Purebloods are all scared because for the first time they have been shown that having a wand does not instantly make them the most powerful people around."

"Because a gun can kill as effectively as magic and now Muggles can be as powerful as a Wizard or Witch?" Ginny said, getting nods from Neville, Hermione, Harry and Susan.

* * *

"Your Majesty. To what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?" The Prime Minister asked, "Or do I even have to guess?"

The Queen sat down with a small smile while an aide dropped a file on the PM's desk, which he promptly picked up and read. After two minutes he lowered the file, his face had gone white.

"You see the problem, of course." The Queen said.

"I'd say we got lucky." The PM replied. "But I don't like the implications of the subsequent events. What options do we have?"

"With your backing, I am going to personally enter the situation." The Queen said.

"A Royal Edict?" the PM asked.

"Only with your support. Besides, this is a family matter." The Queen replied.

* * *

The entire student body in the Great Hall was silent. This was partially because of the speech Dumbledore was giving about the school playing host to students from two other schools and partly due to the spectacular way those groups had arrived, one by flying carriage and the other by a boat emerging from the Black Lake. Mostly, though, it was due to the twenty Order of the Griffin members, all standing at ease, who were lining the central corridor through the house tables and the four standing just below the Teacher's table, behind Dumbledore at his lectern.

All were standing at ease, dressed in Formal Order uniforms, with rank insignia and were armed with a formal Sabre, except Harry and Hermione who had their Ancestral Swords, and pistol. Four more Order members were outside the main doors to the Great Hall, making sure the Dumstrags and Baubuxton's students stayed put until it was time for their entrance. The final two members of the Order were Privates Larks and Li who had drawn sniper cover duty and were set up on top of the Astronomy Tower keeping a watch on all the approaches.

The four Order members below the Teacher's table were what some members had begun referring to as 'The Command Group', consisting of Grand Marshall Ganger; Sergeant Diggory, who acted as Hermione's Second In Command; Corporal Potter, with his Noble Title and the perceived weight of being the Boy Who Lived and PFC Lovegood, who was the head of the sniper section.

"May I present the lovely ladies of the Beauxbaton Academy." Dumbledore announced.

As Dumbledore said 'lovely ladies' Hermione tapped the radio mic attached to her jacket sleeve once and as he said 'Academy' she gave it a quick triple tap. The result was that just after the announcement the hall doors opened to allow the French students access and all of the Order members in the hall snapped to attention, without a verbal command, at the same time, all of them having drawn their Swords and holding them blades in front of their faces in salute. This give the young women from Beauxbaton's a slight pause as they had not expected such a demonstration, and a few of the Hogwarts students, especially some of the Slytherin students, suddenly started wondering if all the Order members were psychic.

After the slight pause the Beauxbaton's students did there little demonstration as their Headmistress, Madam Maxime, strode down the isle lined by the Order Members, who lowered their swords to their sides as she passed.

"Dumbledore." Madam Maxime said, a heavy French accent slightly distorting the words. "I had no idea that Hogwarts be so Militaire."

At this Hermione stepped forward.

"Headmistress Maxime, May I Introduce Lady Hermione Granger, of the High Noble House Gryffindor." Dumbledore said.

"Bonjour, Dame Granger. Comment allez-vous?" The French Headmistress said.

Hermione nodded that she was well.

"Headmistress. Welcome to Hogwarts. My personal Retainers will be providing security during the Tournament, so please instruct your students to follow their instructions." The Grand Marshall said.

Madam Maxime bowed, before taking her place at the Teacher's table while her students joined the end of the Ravenclaw Table.

The process was then repeated with the Durmstrang students, only with slightly more aggression when Hermione met with Headmaster Karkaroff.

* * *

Li and Larks were not at the very top of the Astronomy Tower. They were in the rarely visited support level just below the main platform. This level gave them a 360 degree view of the approaches but also provided protection from both the whipping wind and from being silhouetted against the skyline.

"I've got movement." Larks said. "246 degrees, coming over the ridge."

Li swung her spotting scope around and caught the movement.

"Confirmed. Single figure. I'll call it in." Li said before touching her throat mic. "Overwatch to Command. We have a single contact approaching from 246 degrees."

"Confirmed Overwatch." Hermione's voice came quietly through the radio.

"I don't like this." Larks said. "I got a bad feeling.

* * *

Hermione stood semi-bored as Albus was explaining the tournament when the enchanted roof went wild as a figure entered from behind the Teacher's table. Instantly a flashing light went off on Hermione's wrist.

"Code Six. Imposter." Hermione called.

In an instant everything changed. Gone was the neat, almost toy soldier ranks for the Order on parade. With surprising speed the man many thought was Alistair 'Mad Eye' Moody was backed up against a wall and surrounded in a slightly less then semi-circle by Order members in two ranks all with pistols and swords drawn. The first rank was on one knee, their pistols aimed squarely at his heart while the second rank's were levelled at his head.

"Miss Gr…" Dumbledore began, but was interrupted by a growl in several Order Member's throats. "Grand Marshall Granger, what are you doing?"

"This is an imposter." Hermione replied, her eyes not leaving the fake Moody.

"Dame Granger. Sorry to ask but how do you know?" Madam Maxime said.

"Hogwarts told me." Hermione replied, earning shrugs from most of the Hogwarts staff. "He's under pollyjuice potion. Take his wand and the flask."

Two Order members moved in and stripped the wand and flask from the phony Auror. Hermione ordered four guards over the fake Moody.

"If I'm wrong, I'll apologise. If not we will know in one hour." Hermione said, indicating to Dumbledore that he should proceed with his speech.

TBC….

OMAKE.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

The sound of wood striking wood rang out through the Great Hall. Out of Martial pride and shear curiosity, Harry and Hermione had challenged Victor Krum and three other Durmstrang students to a sparing match, wooden swords versus the Durmstrang Staffs.

Victor and his friends did not take the match seriously at first until Harry took down one of the Bulgarian students, battering through his defence before taking out his legs and faking a killing blow, while Hermione was holding off the combined attacks of the other three.

The remaining three Bulgarian students started to work in a co-ordinated manner while Harry and Hermione were fighting back to back, each blocking blows that it seemed almost prophetic.

In the end Hermione was 'taken out' by the other two Durmstrang students, but managed to take both of them out with her, leaving Harry facing off against Victor. Both managed to get in a few blows but eventually called it a draw.

Applause erupted from the mix of Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students who had been silently watching the demonstration.

End Omake.


	19. Chapter 18

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

A/N: The comment has been made that because Hermione is a Duchess she should be referred to as 'Your Grace' not 'Lady'. She is only a Duchess in the Muggle world, as far as the Wizarding world is concerned she is Ruling Lady of the House of Gryffindor.

* * *

Harry held up his hand to call a halt as he swept the corridor with the light mounted under his P90. Ron, his partner on this security sweep immediately knelt and covered the direction they had just come from with his MP10. Harry listened for a second before motioning for them to continue.

"Thought I heard something." He said at Ron's questioning look.

Had it been almost any other member of the order Harry would not have bothered explaining. Among the other squads, the original Order members of First Squad were considered to be the elite. Of First Squad, only Ron or Neville would bother asking. Hermione and Cedric are both to tactically astute. The Twins are... well the Twins. Neither Susan nor Luna would bother asking, although Harry would have answered Luna. He had a strange kind of friendship with the blonde Ravenclaw.

"So… What's going on with you?" Ron asked, as they continued their patrol.

"What do you mean?" Harry said, checking the cross corridor.

"What I mean is…" Ron began before they heard a noise from around the next bend.

Both of them quickly moved to the cross corridor corner. Harry stood against the wall just before the opening with Ron behind him. Ron slapped Harry on the shoulder of his tactical vest. Both of them moved swiftly into the other corridor, their guns braced at their shoulders.

"Freeze. Order Patrol." Harry Shouted.

The Sixth Year Ravenclaw and the Beauxbaton student stepped away from each other, both flushing furiously. Harry and Ron lowered their guns.

"While we appreciate your efforts to… Um… improve relations between the schools, it is well after curfew." Harry said.

The two students started back towards the Ravenclaw dorm, where the Beauxbaton students were also being housed.

"You ladies be careful." Ron called after them, getting a cuff from Harry. "Hey. What was that for?"

"That was rude." Harry scolded as they resumed their patrol.

Harry was slightly surprised at Ron's attitude.

"So… you were going to tell me why you've been so moody since term started." Ron said.

"Just had stuff on my mind." Harry said defensively.

* * *

"Give me a status report?" Hermione said. "How are the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students fitting in?"

Hermione and the non-coms were sitting around the round table, with the Sergeants and Corporals of each squad sitting together.

"The Beauxbaton students seem to be fitting in well with the Ravenclaws. In a few cases maybe too well. They also have no issues with the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. There has been some slight tension with a few members of Slytherin." Sergeant Miller reported, members of his squad being responsible for the security of the French students.

"And the Durmstang's?"

"Some tension with Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, but nothing serious." Sergeant Kate West from third squad said. "Generally they keep to themselves, although Krum has signed about fifty autographs."

"Good." Hermione responded. "Any other issues?"

"What have we learnt from the false Professor?" Corporal Smith asked.

"Nothing." Cedric replied. "He chewed his own tongue out before we could question him. He was identified as Barty Crouch Jr. He's currently secured inside The Chest."

"Any other issues?" The Grand Marshall asked.

"There have been one or two issues with the Goblet." Corporal Willis, replacing the now deceased Corporal Hussey, said. "A few under the age limit have been attempting to get others to put their name in the Tournament. We are checking id's against the entrant's name."

"Speaking of the Tournament." Sergeant Diggory said. "Permission to enter."

"Permission Granted. Enter when there is a crowd. The student body should know that the Order is involved." Hermione replied. "Alright, let's move on the security patrol roster."

* * *

"My name is Alistair Moody. Ex-Auror." The Professor declared. "When dealing with Dark Wizards and Witches I have a few simple rules. Rule One. Constant Vigilance. You never know when an attack will come. Rule Two. When in doubt, take them down. If you can stun or disable safely, then do so, but never hesitate to make the hard call. Sometimes you need to kill a Dark Witch or Wizard in order to save lives."

Most of the room sat in stunned silence. Hermione, Ron, Neville and Harry were nodding. Most Slytherins looked appalled, except Daphne Greengrass who merely looked contemplative.

"Now, what do you think is the single most important combat skill?" Moody asked.

"Stupify?" one student asked.

"Blasting spells?"

"Shield spells?"

"All good suggestions." Moody replied. "Lady Granger? Or do you prefer Grand Marshall?"

"Either." Hermione said. "The single most important combat skill? Solo combat operations or team based?"

"My experience is mostly Solo, but provide us with both." Moody said.

"Solo combat you need situational awareness. The ability to read both the environment and the intent of the opponent. In team based combat the single most import thing is communication. If you don't know what your team mates see and are doing then you will get killed or kill your team mates."

"Correct." Moody replied. "This year I am not simply going to teach you spells, more importantly I am going to teach you how to think and react in combat situations. A Wizard who knows a few spells and knows when to use them will always beat a Wizard who knows a lot of spells but does not understand the best way to utilise those spells."

* * *

The man, in a middle of the range suit, stood in the middle of nowhere, with an unimportant seeming set of ruins in the middle distance. He looked down at the GPS unit in his hand and kept walking towards the ruins, every few steps he kept glancing down at the unit until suddenly the display faded into static.

"I have an urgent message for Duchess Hermione Granger." He called out, then took one step forward and repeated the declaration.

* * *

"Boss, this is overwatch." One of Luna's snipers' voice came through Hermione's earpiece. "We got a Muggle walking towards the Castle. He's unarmed but seems to be stopping every step to make some announcement."

"Sergeant West. Take Third Squad and investigate." Hermione ordered, while absently transfiguring a few matchsticks into a perfect replica of the throne on Mangath, complete with a tiny figure in an elegant dress, long flowing hair and a simple circlet around the temples.

Professor McGonagall was instructing the class in transfiguring their matchsticks into hollow metal tubes. Harry had managed to transfigure his matchstick, while Neville had turned his into a solid metal cylinder. With a flick of her wrist, Hermione had the figure stand, pick up Neville's rod and begin spinning it like a staff.

"Grand Marshall, this is West. We need you at the gate. This Muggle is asking for you by name."

"Professor. There is an issue that needs my attention." Hermione said, rising from her seat.

"Of Course." Minerva said.

By the time Hermione left the room, the figure was back on the throne with the solid metal rod held upright in one hand.

* * *

Hermione arrived at the gate to see Third Squad standing guard over the suited Muggle. Sergeant West had done a spell to let him hear her, despite the wards, when she addressed him directly. After hearing West's report, Hermione performed another spell that let him both see and hear her.

"I am Duchess Hermione Granger." She announced.

"Your Grace." The man said, bowing. "My name is James Carson. I am a Civil Servant working for the office of the Prime Minister. I have instruction from both the Prime Minister and the Crown to present you with this briefcase."

With another bow, the man placed the briefcase on the ground, turned and walked away. Sergeant West performed a few spells on the briefcase to ensure that it was not a bomb or anything dangerous. The rest of Third Squad kept their weapons trained on the Civil Servant, who never knew they were there, until he was well outside the Castle grounds.

* * *

"Atten hut!" Cedric called as Hermione entered the Briefing room.

The room was now packed, with three more squads worth of recruits having recently graduated from Basic.

"Be seated." Hermione said as she stood at the lectern. "First order of business. Sergeant Diggory is being promoted to Lieutenant. Corporal Potter is being promoted to Staff Sergeant and PFC's Lovegood, Bones, Longbottom and all three Weasley's are also being promoted to Sergeant.

"Sergeant Lovegood taking over full time as head of Sniper division. Sergeant Ron Weasley will be tasked with head of the security of the Baubuxton Champion, Sergeant Bones will head the Daumstangs' Champion's security detail and, should Lieutenant Diggory not be selected as Champion, Sergeant Longbottom will lead the Hogwarts Champion's detail. With the influx of new Privates, the experienced troopers will be spread across the five new squads in order to provide guidance. Other promotions and new Squad Rosters will be posted at the conclusion of this briefing."

At this point the screen behind her went from white to a document.

"We have recently had an ambassador from the Crown and the Muggle Parliament. In light of the new situation, and given the new proposal in the Wizengamont, we have now been officially included as an auxiliary force attached to the SAS. Given our new status, Lieutenant Diggory, Staff Sergeant Potter and myself will be meeting with an SAS Liaison this weekend to discuss integration and tactical doctrine."

* * *

"The Baubuxton's champion is… Fleur Delacour." Dumbledore announced.

Fleur stood up from among her fellow students and went out the rear door.

"The Daumstangs' Champion is Victor Krum." The headmaster continued as the Quidditch star followed the female champion. "And the Hogwarts Champion is… Cedric Diggory."

"Order Guard, Post." Hermione ordered from her place standing near the Goblet of Fire.

Harry, Ron, Susan and six Order members, including Marie St Clair, all stood and followed the Grand Marshall out of the Great Hall and into the chamber where the Champions were waiting.

Fleur and Victor looked around when the Order members entered, followed by several Professors, while Cedric stood at attention.

"At ease, Lieutenant." Hermione said, with two of the Order members moving to flank the Hogwarts Champion.

"Miss Delacour, Mr Krum." Hermione began. "As you are almost certainly aware, I am the Grand Marshall of the Order of the Griffin. During the Tournament your security will undertaken by the Order. Miss Delacour, your security will be overseen by Sergeant Weasley. Mr Krum, yours will be overseen by Sergeant Bones."

Ron, Marie and one other Order member stepped forward and saluted Fleur before falling in a guard position, while Susan and the other two did the same with Victor.

"Sergeants Weasley and Bones will answer and questions you have about the security arrangements and if you need to deviate from your schedules you will need to inform them."

* * *

The Major was sitting at his desk, going over a map with Agent 009 when Sergeant Waters came in.

"Major. The message has been delivered. Representatives will be here at Oh-nine-forty-five on Saturday." Sergeant Waters said.

"Thank you, Sergeant." The Major replied.

Sergeant Waters left and Agent 009 turned to the Major, her hair falling gracefully over her shoulder.

"This should be interesting." She said.

TBC…


	20. Chapter 19

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

A/N: The comment has been made that because Hermione is a Duchess she should be referred to as 'Your Grace' not 'Lady'. She is only a Duchess in the Muggle world, as far as the Wizarding world is concerned she is Ruling Lady of the House of Gryffindor.

* * *

Ron, Marie St Clair and Samantha Skinner stood outside the portrait that led into the Ravenclaw tower, standing off to one side, awaiting Fleur Delacour to emerge. They were all dressed in BDU's, Marie and Sam with their Assault Rifles, both M-16's, while Ron only was armed with his sidearm. The portrait opened and a few Ravenclaws and two Baubuxton students emerged and headed down to Breakfast, the portrait closing behind them. A few minutes later the portrait opened again and Fleur emerged, accompanied by five other Baubuxton students, and flanked by Luna and Michelle.

"Sergeant Lovegood." Ron said, with a salute. "You are relieved."

"Sergeant Weasley, we stand relieved." Luna replied, returning the salute.

"Champion Delacour." Ron said to Fleur as Luna and Michelle moved off to Breakfast. "We are here to escort you to Breakfast."

"Is this really necessary?" Fleur asked.

"Sir, we have had at least one known Death Eater, who should have been in Azkaban, who was masquerading as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. As a Champion you are a potential target. The Order is responsible for your safety. We would prefer you were not exposed to any more danger than is inherent in the Tournament." Ron explained.

With a slight sigh, Fleur nodded. Ron fell into step beside while the two female Order members fell in one pace behind.

* * *

The Major looked out the window as the Jeep pulled up outside and three figures got out, the Driver was one his own and stayed in the jeep. He moved to the conference table, sitting next to Agent 009. Sergeant Waters was waiting outside and escorted the guests in.

"Sir." Waters said as he led in the three Order of the Griffin command staff in. "Grand Marshall Granger, Lieutenant Diggory and Staff Sergeant Potter."

The three Order members sat down across from the Major and 009, with Sergeant Waters sitting next to the Major. The Major saw the instant recognition in Hermione's eyes when she looked at Agent 009 and Himself and that look in Harry's saying that he recognises them but could not quite place them.

"This is the Major in charge of joint operations with The Order, and Agent 009 of MI6." Waters introduced.

"Let's get down to business." Hermione began. "Do you want to start, Dad? Or would you Mum?"

Hermione stared at the Major and Agent 009. Major Peter Granger and Agent Jane Granger smiled at their daughter. Peter saw the confusion in Cedric's face and the light go on in Harry's mind.

"Your Dad's an SAS Major and your Mum's a 00? That explains a lot." Harry said.

Hermione's arm shot out and gave Harry a light punch on the arm. The move seemed like a reflex, something that Hermione was barely aware of but seemed to be affectionate. A brief look of annoyance passed over Harry's face then disappeared almost immediately.

"Back to business. What's the operation?" Hermione asked.

"There is an operation, but first there will be an integration training program, so that both The Regiment and The Order can learn common tactical doctrines." Major Granger replied.

* * *

Hermione sat alone at the large oaken desk in the replica of her old quarters in the "Might of the Fallen", the floor to ceiling shelves of books behind her. She had let the Grand Marshall part of her recede. She was just a teenage girl who had found out that her parents were absolutely nothing like she had thought. She flipped through the photo album on the desk. Christmas Photos of Hermione and Harry with her parents. Wedding photos of her father leading her down the isle and candid shots of her with her mother and Harry and her father.

Of course there were no photos of the most tragic event involving her parents. The memory came unbidden of that night. The phone call, the abandoned meal, the frantic drive to the hospital. A truck had hit her parents car, Peter Granger had died instantly, however Jane Granger had survived, for a time at least. For four days Hermione had sat by her unconscious mother's body, the sheets not forming a proper outline, laying low where Jane's missing right arm and leg should have been. Harry had been by her side, when he was not off taking care of funeral arrangement or getting coffee or changes of clothes for Hermione.

Three days later she stood at the grave side of both her parents, Harry standing close at her side, arm around her shoulder, as the rain fell drenching the cemetery. The water drenched them, unlike the scattering of other mourners they did not have an umbrella, and they let it wash away Hermione's tears. Three weeks later it would be their fourth wedding anniversary.

Hermione came out of her memories, tears rolling down her cheeks. She slammed the photo album closed and stood up from the desk. She half ran, half stumbled to the large bunk and fell onto it, balling her eyes out. Crying for all the losses she had experience. The loss of her parents, her friends, her Harry. The loss of the innocent belief of the simple lives of her parents. Even the loss of the Stars. All the worlds out there, both the civilised and developed worlds and the wild worlds, full of wonder and danger.

* * *

Harry sat at the desk in his private quarters off the Gryffindor Common room, going over the stacks of paperwork. The first stack, the smallest, was simple Hogwarts Schoolwork assignments due in the next few weeks. The second was House Potter estate status reports and upkeep expenses. The third was lists of active House Potter negotiations. Most of the second and third piles were administered by proxies but he still had to review them to keep abreast of the house finances but there were still a few he needed authorise personally.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes before grabbing another document from the third stack, this one about a complicated, multi-tiered negotiation with a group of Australian companies. He studied the document and eventually penned an amendment to a few of the sections, which he sealed and set in a stack of envelopes in his out tray to be sent out by post owl in the morning.

Hedwig hooted sleepily on her perch, causing Harry to look up, and then glance across at the clock. It was after midnight and he had been working solidly since seven. He stood from the chair and stretched, his back cracking in a number of places and a ripple running up and down his spine as knots in his muscles tensed and then released in succession, causing first a sharp intake of breath and the a long, slow relived sigh. He made his way into the small bedroom that was attached to the Lord's office and collapsed onto the bed.

While he enjoyed and was committed to the Order, it was still another factor to add onto his exceedingly full plate, with both his School work and his House Potter responsibilities. And tonight was a night off for Order duties. Tomorrow evening he would be duty officer and would have to deal with and issues that came up. And of course the Order duties would be taking up more and more time given what they had learnt in the briefing with their SAS liaisons, Hermione's Parents.

Then there was the whole mess with the Grand Marshall, or was it Lady Granger, or perhaps just his friend Hermione. There were just so many sides to his Best Friend that sometimes it seemed like you were suddenly talking to a different person in the middle of a conversation. And his feelings towards her. Respect for his commanding officer, friendship for the girl who would sit and study with him, and a muddy wash of emotions he could not explain, not even to himself but especially not to Ron who would undoubtedly take the piss, whenever Hermione seemed to know things about him that he did not even know about himself. Like the Banana Crepes.

The first time he had ever had Banana Crepes, at a restaurant with Sirius, Remus and her Parents the previous summer, she had said they were his favourite when she had ordered them off the menu, and when they had arrived he had discovered a gastronomic experience he had never imagined and they had indeed become his favourite desert. It was not the fact that she knew things about him, Hermione was from the future after all and that was to be expected, but there were lots of little things which made him wonder how close they had been in the future. Slight adjustments to his cutlery in the Great Hall that seemed a reflex action, the straitening of his school tie of a morning.

Had something happened to him in the future? She had said he had been a lot of pain in his future, that he had been married and that he had died in her arms. Had he at some point become an invalid, forcing his friend to take care of him? Maybe a mental breakdown? He could not let himself become a burden to Hermione again. Not this time.

With determination not to drag Hermione down with his flaws, sleep finally claimed Harry.

* * *

"How is R&D coming?" Asked the middle aged man at the head of conference table.

"Progressing on schedule as we had discussed last week." The female head of R&D replied. "There have been no delays. Project Gamma Six is producing some interesting results as outlined in the report."

One could easily have mistaken it for a board meeting or Senior Management meeting for any medium sized corporation. The man at the head of the table nodded before turning to a severe looking middle aged man with buzz cut hair.

"And how is the training progressing, Gerald?" The man asked.

"Very well, Master. We have begun to replenish the losses we sustained at the World Cup last month with new recruits. We have had two cadet classes graduate in the last month and have started to develop tactics to counter Her organisation."

"Good." The Master replied. "And what about on the foreign front?"

"We have feelers out." A young woman near the foot of the table said. "We have identified possible allies a wide range of European Countries and America. We have eliminated a number of groups based either on differing attitudes, lack of influence or excessively high profiles that draw too much of the wrong kind of attention. It is all detailed in my report."

"Thank you Sarah. Gerald, Sarah we will look at training and foreign integration in the meeting next Tuesday. Everyone else, we will meet again in two weeks." The Master said, closing the folder in front of him and raising from the table.

TBC…


	21. Chapter 20

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

A/N: The comment has been made that because Hermione is a Duchess she should be referred to as 'Your Grace' not 'Lady'. She is only a Duchess in the Muggle world, as far as the Wizarding world is concerned she is Ruling Lady of the House of Gryffindor.

A/N 2: TsukiyoTenshi, The Grangers were dentists. They took up dentistry after the both 'retired' when Jane was pregnant with Hermione, and it was something they learnt when they both went undercover to dentistry school, which is where they met. Also the anniversary reference related to the memory, three weeks after the funeral was the anniversary.

* * *

Four Squads of Order Troopers stood at attention, along with three two trooper Sniper Teams. Hermione and Harry stood out in front to the troops. Three of the squads were armed with assault rifles, mostly M16's with a smattering of P90's, with several troopers equipped with under-barrel shotguns or grenade launchers. The squads were lead by Sergeants Neville Longbottom, Kate West and George Weasley. The Fourth squad, lead by Sergeant Fred Weasley was a heavy weapons squad, consisting of two Light Machine Gun teams, including Fred, two Mortar teams and one Heavy Machine Gun team. The Sniper teams included the Luna Lovegood and Michelle Waters team and the Li and Larks team.

Standing opposite stood two Platoons of SAS troopers, lead by Major Granger and containing Sergeant Waters, Michelle's father. Hermione, Harry and Luna stepped forward and were met by Major Granger, a Captain and the two Platoon Lieutenants.

"Grand Marshall, may I introduce Captain White and Lieutenants Marks and Green." Peter Granger said to his daughter.

"Captain. Lieutenants." Hermione replied. "This is Sergeant Potter, my Second in Command, and Sergeant Lovegood, head of our Sniper division."

The officers nodded to Hermione and her Non-Com's.

"I am wondering, um… Grand Marshall, why you have only brought four squads?" Lieutenant Green asked.

"Lieutenant, The Order is only about one year old." Hermione explained. "Most of our officers are still in School and we only have Six squads of line troopers and five sniper teams. The rest we left behind to defend our School, which has seen more attacks than some warzones. Frankly, with everything that is happening at the moment you are lucky that we are here at all, and if my Great Grand Aunt had not asked, we would not be here at all."

"Who is your Great Grand Aunt?" White asked.

"That would be Her Majesty the Queen." Major Granger replied.

While the SAS officer's were in shock and muttering to each other, Luna whispered something to Hermione causing the brown haired girl to smile.

"Major." Hermione said. "Are you aware you have at least six of our kind in your ranks?"

"No." Peter replied to his daughter as the other SAS officers fell silent. "How can you tell?"

"Experience." Hermione responded. "And having a Sniper who sees Auras helps as well."

"Luna, go tap them." Hermione said, before facing the SAS troopers and raising her voice. "If the Sergeant taps you, take one step forward."

Luna walked slowly up and down the SAS lines, several Squads she walked past then began tapping a trooper here, another there. One squad had three tapped. In the end at total of seven troopers had been tapped before Luna returned to the officers gathering.

"Tapped troopers, Front and Centre." Peter Granger called.

The seven troopers moved up and formed into a line in front of the officers.

"Present Wands." Hermione ordered.

The Troopers looked at each other but none presented a Wand.

"Do I need to Accio?" Hermione threatened.

Two of the troopers pulled out wands, one from his sleave and the other from inside his pants along the seam of his right leg. After a few seconds the other five also pulled wands out from a variety of hiding places. Luna had a slight smile gracing her face.

* * *

Four things happened in very quick succession. First the flash-bangs simply appeared and immediately detonated. Second and third things happened at the same time, being the window breaks and two teams of two appearing crouched in the south-west and south-east corners of the room that opened fire in a deadly cross fire. The last, coming at the same time as the two apperating teams opened fire, was the hale of fire coming in from the broken windows.

In the space of two seconds the room went from being secured in the hands of the SAS to being secured in the hands of the Order with all of the SAS troopers 'dead'.

"Alright, exercise over." Hermione called from outside where she had been observing with Harry and the two SAS Lieutenants.

All of the 'dead' SAS soldiers stood up, bemoaning at the paintball marks on their BDU's. Neville stood and held out his mechanical left arm to help up his partner who had apperated into the South-East corner. He noticed a small circle of paint on his partner's arm.

"Boss. Taylor got hit in arm. Non-fatal." Neville called out.

"Rodger, Sergeant." Hermione replied. "Everyone outside for de-brief."

Neville slapped Taylor on the back, with his normal right arm, as they started out of the room.

"Sergeant?" one of the SAS soldiers said. "May I ask how you lost your arm?"

Taylor and the other two Order troopers, both from Neville's squad, stopped and glared at the SAS soldier, until Neville waved them on, with his Mechanical arm, as he kept walking where they were joined by the rest of Neville's squad, who had been firing in through the windows.

"It's fine guys. Recently we had a major sporting event that was attack. Total anarchy." Neville began, noticing that all of the SAS, including the officers waiting for the debrief, were listening. "The Grand Marshall and a fire team were defending the only extraction point. My team was moving in to support but we got pinned down by a group in cover. Two of us tried flanking, but my partner got hit in her shoulder. I managed to take out the pinning group with a grenade but caught a blasting hex in the arm. Hit me in the bicep. The boss got me this replacement. Still get pain in the missing limb occasionally."

"Form up." Lieutenant Marks ordered, before handing over the debrief to Hermione.

"Firstly, the defensive formation used, against a normal opponent, would have been effective." Hermione began. "Unfortunately against any kind of magical opponent it is full of holes. What we did today is a worst case scenario. To my knowledge there are only two forces that are capable of this kind of assault. The Order and the force that took Sergeant Longbottom's arm. Most Wizarding forces will either all apperated into the middle of the room shooting curses in every direction, or will apperated outside and send a barrage through the windows. The more competent ones will apperated in and out to avoid return fire."

Hermione then outlined the details of the order's assault and alterations to the SAS's defence that would defend not only against the more traditional style of Wizarding assault but also a chance against the Order's technique. When the debrief was finished the soldiers and troopers dispersed. Harry and Hermione began to walk back to their billets in the Visiting Officers quarters, Harry only scoring Officer's Quarters as he was the Order forces' XO as he was still an NCO.

"So where did you learn those tactics? Or did you just come up with them?" Harry asked as they walked, once they were alone.

"Oh I pioneered them, but not just now." Hermione replied. "The assault we perfected during the Mangath Expansion into the Empire of the Eastern Reach. A lot of worlds had dark influences, others just hated everyone else. Plus there were a lot of raiders and pirates. Works just as well on a spaceship as on a room."

"And the defensive formation?"

"That was about sixty years later. It was a ground war and the opponent had learnt to emulate our attacks and we were suffering as much as they were from the assaults. So we learnt the hard way how to counter it. Tried hundreds of countering tactics I had been considering since I came up with the Assault tactic till we found one that worked."

"So was this on Mangath? Or one of the worlds in the Eastern Reach?" Harry asked.

"No. It was one of our allies. A beautiful planet, until the war tore it up. Snow capped mountains that stretched to the horizon covered in deep red grass. A burnt orange sky, with a second sun that made everything shine. Forests covering hectares that glowed because the leaves were made of silver. Then it was burning, broken and churned to mud." There was a profound sadness in Hermione's voice.

Harry was silent for a few minutes before something occurred to him.

"That sounds familiar." Harry said. "I have heard a description like that before."

"Yes, I know. That's why when the planet was colonised it was called Gallifrey."

"Where there any…?" Harry asked eagerly.

His Cousin had loved that show.

"No. No Time Lords." Hermione replied with a smile.

* * *

"Do you need a break? And here I thought you were supposed to be a big, strong Quiddich star." Susan Bones teased, slowing her pace.

"No. I can run as far as you can." Victor Krum replied, panting slightly.

"Oh come on. It's only another three miles." Susan said with a grin.

Krum groaned. Susan and Victor were both dressed in running gear and were on the far side of the Black Lake to the castle, their running gear stained with sweat which made Sergeant Bone's tank top cling to her body in a way that was not unnoticed by the Tri-Wizard champion.

"You better keep up." Susan warned, picking the pace back up. "Or I might decide that all those girls literally throwing themselves at you are no longer a security threat."

"I can keep up. Don't worry." Victor said, then more quietly to himself, "I must keep up."

In the first forty-eight hours after being declared a champion, before Susan ordered the Order security detail to prevent large groups of teenage girls forming around the Bulgarian Champion, he had suffered seven ripped shirts, two ripped pants and, in the final incident, a number of bruises, a sprained wrist and a dislocated shoulder. It had taken a flash-bang and some well placed stunners to immobilise the pack of rabid fan-girls long enough to extract Victor and get him out of the area.

Susan chuckles to herself as she runs at an easy pace, for the Order member, while Victor struggles behind her, almost too focused on keeping up to notice the fine female posterior in tight pants in front of him…. Almost.

TBC….


	22. Chapter 21

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

A/N: The comment has been made that because Hermione is a Duchess she should be referred to as 'Your Grace' not 'Lady'. She is only a Duchess in the Muggle world, as far as the Wizarding world is concerned she is Ruling Lady of the House of Gryffindor.

A/N 2: Aealket, in regards to your expectation that the SAS would have done better in the last chapter, here are some points to consider. Point 1, the Flash-bangs are also called concussion grenades and they operate by producing a blinding flash of light coupled with a deafening explosion, hence the nick name. Point 2, in normal combat situations, which is what the SAS are trained for, there is always some kind of warning prior to an assault. Door breaching charges, window breaks, the roof exploding inwards, something. In the Order's assault the primed grenades simply appear inside the room through magical means. Considering these points, the SAS did pretty well to wound one of the Order members as they were deaf, blind and the Order member was in a position which was vacant milliseconds earlier. And remember, it took Hermione sixty years to counter it and she developed the assault.

A/N3: Evil4Dummies, Thank you. I also absolutely love Sniper Luna. I found her the single most intriguing character in the series and she looks at things from a different perspective from everyone else, something that I think would come in handy as a sniper. The major reason why the general Wizarding population is not hunting down the Order lynch mob style is that there is the Master's forces out there who also have guns, and many remember that in their first public action, the Order defended them against the Master's troops. Also for the question at the end, no Kathryn Li is not Su Li, nor is she related to her in any way. The surname Li is like Smith or Jones, exceedingly common and most of the older Order members have been recruited from the disenfranchised Half Bloods and Muggleborns.

* * *

The market place was filled with hundreds of people, all pushing and milling about the long isles of stalls and shopfronts. A dozen different languages hung in the air, occasionally in the stunted, broken sentences of people haggling in a common language that was not the native tongue of either buyer or seller. All in all a modern, European version of the grand ancient Bazaars of the Middle East.

Winding through this bustling sea of humanity was what looked like an ordinary young couple. Dressed in jeans, polo shirts and jackets, they wandered through with their arms around each others waists, chatting away in French as they browsed. On the other side of the street two men, dressed in factory worker coveralls were having a robust discussion in German about the merits of the beer hall down the street as opposed to the on two streets over. Further down the street two teenaged girls were laughing and chatting in English about finally having ditched their minder for some fun and exclaiming over the clothes on display.

While none of the three teams appeared to pay any attention to the first floor apartment above the toy store, they were all acutely aware of any activity. The two SAS men, neither of them being one of the SAS Wizards, disguised as local factory workers, watched with the eyes of combat veterans, performing thread assessments and gathering information on how to do a military assault. Luna and Michelle, the two rich, English-speaking tourists, surveyed the apartment's activities with the trained eye of snipers, looking for weak spots to exploit and, in Luna's case, aura's to read.

The third team, the young couple, watched the apartment in a completely different manner. Harry and Hermione simply opened their senses and felt the flows of Magic running through the apartment and its occupants. Harry was stronger at sensing raw and over uses of Magic, however Hermione, with her vastly greater experience, was much better at reading the subtler uses and tricks to disguise the true nature of the spells being used.

The SAS, international experts in counter terrorism, had been tracking whispers of a plot that had eventually led them to this apartment. Then several Dark Wizards had shown up and had hopelessly complicated the issue to the point where the Order had been called in.

"Finished getting a read?" Hermione asked quietly, in French to keep up the cover.

"Yes." Harry replied in kind.

"Well, why don't we cross over at the next break and head back down to that lovely little patisserie stall?" Hermione asked a bit louder.

Harry nodded and they set off, blending into the crowd. The next shift would start in fifteen minutes, so Hermione was determined to enjoy reliving the feeling, if only in her mind, of being out on a date with Her Harry. The one she knew better than she knew herself, the one she had married in the other timeline. Plus his arm around her waist felt good, as did hers around his.

* * *

Neville sat with the seven SAS Wizards, going over strategies for using Magic in combat situations without overtly breaking the Statute of Secrecy. All of the SAS Wizards had taken turns on surveillance for the five known enemy safe houses. Neville was one of the very few from either the Order or the SAS not to go on these covert operations because, to face facts, there are not a lot of people walking around with full metal, skeletal left arms outside of the Terminator movies. It would have made him extremely memorable.

The Magical strategy sessions had proven quite useful to both sides. Neville had taught all the strategies that the Order had learnt from the Grand Marshall's long combat experience, such as spells to harden air into plates of armour around a combatant's body or to obtain tactile sensations from inanimate objects. The latter spell provided sensory feedback for Neville in the elbow joint, wrist and hand of his artificial limb, but it can also be used so that the focus of the spell can 'feel' a tingle when a targeting laser lights on their uniform or body armour.

Other strategies had come from brainstorming sessions. Such as the density equalisation spell, which would alter the density of all the material of the same type within the target area to within a naturally occurring deviation of the mean density. In layman's terms you could use the spell to erase the compression imprint of footprints in mud or snow by making the receiving medium all appear about the same density. A particularly useful spell on covert operations.

* * *

The cannon sounded and Cedric walked out to face his dragon. Inside the tent there were only the two foreign champions and the heads of their Guard. Ron stood in one corner near Fleur while Susan stood in the other with Victor. Ron could see the nervousness in Fleur, despite the reserved expression on her face. A cheer went up from the crowed outside.

About a minute later the cannon sounded again.

"Just keep running." Susan said to Victor with a sly smile.

Victor smiled back, before heading out into the arena, with his wand drawn. Susan gave Ron a nod and then exited the back of the tent to go watch Victor.

"Just relax." Ron whispered.

Fleur let herself relax, releasing the tension that had kept her rigid in front of the others.

"I don't know if I can do this." She whispered.

Ron suppressed the childish impulse to hug the French Champion in the hopes of getting a grope, letting his Order training, and the more mature instincts that made him an effective squad leader, take over.

"Of course you can." He said in his command voice. "Just stick to your plan and play to your strengths. Focus on your goal."

Fleur took a deep breath to calm herself and then gave her body a quick shake to loosen up.

"Thank you, Sergeant Weasley." She said.

"Ron." He said. "My name is Ron."

Another cheer echoed into the room from the arena, indicating the end of Victor's task.

"Thank you, Ron." Fleur reiterated.

"A pleasure and an honour." Ron responded, giving her a salute as a sign on respect.

Fleur knew enough about Muggle military traditions to return the salute, and took pride in the trust inherently displayed by the gesture. The cannon sounded for the third time and Fleur turned to face the task with a new confidence.

* * *

Neville's left arm may look like it is made from ordinary stainless steel, but in fact it is made from a light, strong and durable alloy not discovered for another 1200 years and eventually used for, among other things, Spaceship structural supports and the armour plating of ultra high velocity, rapid insertion, space to ground combat 'drop pod' craft. So naturally when the seemingly fragile skeletal hand came in contact with even a steel reinforced door, with hundreds of pounds per square inch from its powerful hydraulic pistons, the door naturally was ripped right off its hinges and was thrown across the room, followed immediately by flash-bang grenades. Team four made a smooth entry, the Order members, wielding pistols and wands, were paired up with SAS troopers, who were using their assault rifles. At site four the team achieved complete surprise. The six gunmen were quickly subdued or killed and the one dark Wizard was hit by four stunners, throwing him off his feet.

The team quickly secured the apartment, checking for hidden compartments, boltholes or escape routes. They found none.

"One-One, this is Four-One. Site secured." Neville reported on the command frequency.

"Rodger Four-One." Hermione responded.

"One-One, Five-One." One of the SAS Lieutenants transmitted, "Site is empty. They were gone when we got here."

"This is Six-Nine. We were ambushed." One of the Order troopers reported urgently. "Six-One, Six-Two and Six-Four were stunned and captured. We have five casualties and numerous injuries. We are in no condition to pursue. What are your orders, One-One?"

Neville's heart stopped for a moment. Six-One was Harry and Six-Two was Sergeant Kate West. Team six had been the backup for teams four and five, both as a rapid response unit if either got in trouble and a pursuit team in case one of the sites tried to make a run for it. Harry, as Hermione's XO, had overall command of teams four through six, despite five's team leader being a Lt, and now he had been captured.

"Four-One. Ready for pursuit." Neville said.

"Five-One. Ready to go too." The Lieutenant added.

"Negative." Hermione responded. "Four-One, secure prisoners and RTB. Five-One, assist team six and take command. Get the wounded ready to move and then follow team four back to base."

"One-One, Hawkeye One. Request permission to begin tracking." Luna's soft voice said.

"Come on Boss, let me get these guys." Kathryn Li's voice was hard.

"Hawkeyes One and Two. Permission granted. Report back in Twenty-Four Hours." Came the order.

Neville looked out the window of the apartment and could just make out a flash of blonde and darker hair, indicating Luna and Michelle moving of to track those who took Harry, Kate and the SAS soldier. He did not even try to look for Larks and Li. Larks was a smooth operator who seemed to glide through the shadows around him, while Li… Li was simply scarily good. She could disappear in the middle of a fully lit, empty room… without magic. With a silent sigh, Neville turned to begin the process of securing the prisoners.

* * *

Luna, Michelle, Larks and Li stood at parade rest, their shoulders slightly slumped, in front of Hermione and Captain White.

"We tracked them half way across the city, but then we lost the trail." Larks said, embarrassment was faintly detectable in his controlled voice.

"Very well." Hermione sighed. "Go pack your things, I am ordering the Order back to Hogwarts. Flight leaves at oh-eight-hundred tomorrow."

"We're leaving?" Li asked, frustration evident in her voice.

Hermione, probably the only female Li knew that was tougher than herself, simply stared at Li for a moment.

"We were brought in to deal with the Dark Wizards. All are confirmed dead or captured. The Order's role here is done." Hermione said. "Dismissed."

Everyone, including the Captain turned and left, but Luna stopped short of the door and closed it before turning back to face the Grand Marshall.

"What is it, Sergeant?" Hermione asked.

"I'm staying too." Luna declared.

"And what makes you think any of us are staying." The Grand Marshall responded, trying to keep the command mask in place.

"Because it is Harry. I'm staying too." Luna reiterated before leaving.

Luna was right, of course. Hermione would stay until he was found. She had promised herself that she would save him, even if that meant letting him go, or watching him fall in love with someone else. But this was different. He was missing, perhaps dead. All the sacrifices, all the pain. Ten thousand years of waiting and now she was going to loose him again, but without any of the joy of last time round.

Her military mask broke and she wept. Wept like a girl who lost her friend, like a wife who lost her husband, like a mother who lost her child. Like a woman watching her entire life implode.

TBC…


	23. Chapter 22

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

Harry awoke cold and naked, his body aching and not in a good way. His eyes slowly opened as he took in the bare, empty stone of the cell around him, lit by a softly glowing light bulb, sheltered by a chain-link cover. Harry was not alone; Kate West was also in the cell as naked as Harry, leaning up against the wall with her legs stretched out in front of her, one arm by her side and the other hand behind her head.

"They took the SAS Trooper half an hour ago." Kate said.

"How long have we been here?" Harry asked, pulling himself up to the wall opposite to West.

"About two hours." She responded. "Look, Sir, I want you to promise me something."

"Promise?" Harry said, both still trying to clear his head and understand what she was asking.

"Yes. I want you to promise that when they come back, you will let the take me. Promise you will not try to protect me."

"What?" Harry exclaimed. "Is this because of the whole Boy-Who…"

"No!" Kate replied, just as emphatically. "Nothing to do with that. This is all about the Order. You have no idea what it is like for the rest of us."

Kate paused, lowering her head slightly to rub the back of her neck, closing her eyes for a moment. She paused so long that Harry was about to say something when she resumed.

"You know I was fifth in my year at Hogwarts. The best offer I got was in the Ministry's Sanitation department. Numbers six, eight and fifteen were all Purebloods I knew at school. One could barely throw a stunner, he's an Auror now. Of the other two, one is Vice President of one major Wizarding Corporation and the other is a Curse Breaker at Gringotts."

"I know the system is biased. But what…?" Harry began.

"We would die for you. For the Grand Marshall, Sergeant Longbottom, Lieutenant Diggory… all of you from the original First Squad. Every other member of the Order, with the exception of Waters, all feel the same. You gave us purpose. I remember vividly the day you and the Grand Marshall came to recruit me. Ten minutes later and you would have wasted your trip. Don't try to protect me. My job here is to protect you."

Silence descended, Kate preparing herself for the ordeal ahead while Harry shocked into silence by her revelation. A few minutes later they heard the sound of boots, then the heavy sound of the door being unlocked. Two guards dragged the naked, bloody, broken and unconscious SAS trooper inside and dumped him on the floor. They looked between Harry and Kate for a minute then walked over to Kate. Naturally Kate struggled but a firm blow to the head with a rifle stock put an end to that and they dragged her out of the room.

Almost two hours passed in silence for Harry, with the SAS Trooper still passed out on the floor before he hear the boots again and Kate was dragged back into the room. Unlike the SAS Trooper she was not unconscious, but she was bloody, bruised and groaning. When they dropped her on the floor the two men looked at Harry but then they shrugged and walked out, locking the door behind them.

Kate groaned as she pulled herself back to her place against the wall next to Harry, shuddering with tears rolling down her cheeks and hissing in pain. Her body was criss-crossed with welts, a series of burns and a long river of semi-dried blood down then inside of her thighs.

"Good." She said, her voice horse and barely audible. "I convinced them."

With a final sigh, she lost consciousness, and slid sideways up against Harry.

* * *

Hermione and Luna ghosted through the faintly lit streets. The streetlights were sparse in this part of the city. They were in full combat gear, Luna's sniper riffle replace with a MP10 sub-machine gun, but all their gear was either disillusioned or charmed to look like every day items. Hermione led them through a doorway into the almost pitch black interior of the building's stair well. They cancelled the charms and moved up the stairs, their guns raised and constantly checking the corners. On the fourth level they moved out of the stairwell and down the corridor. They came to the door at the end of the corridor. Luna covered Hermione as the older girl knelt down and picked the lock. Once the lock was open they smoothly moved into the room, simulating in miniature the assaults of the two days prior. The apartment was empty.

"Right. We bunk down here. Let's secure the place." Hermione ordered.

Hermione was under no illusions that they were going to find Harry and the others in one day, but they had made progress. One this was clear to her though, there could only be two outcomes from this hunt. Either she would find Harry alive, or all those responsible would pay… and then she would put her pistol in her own mouth and blow out her own brains. She could not do this again if he was dead. Let the Seraphim have his back up plan.

* * *

"Sir, Captain White reporting as Ordered." The Captain said, saluting Major Granger.

"Sit, Captain." Peter Granger said, indicating to the chair across from himself and his wife. "Report."

"Sir, overall the mission was a success, but on the final operation there was a… complication." White said, "Staff Sergeant Potter and Sergeant West of the Order, along with Trooper Bragg, were captured by a retreating group of the enemy, when their entire network was taken down. With the death of the Dark Wizards and the network shut down, our operation was over. Grand Marshall Granger ordered the joint forces home, however the Grand Marshall and Sniper Sergeant Lovegood stayed behind to perform a Search and Rescue for Potter, West and Bragg."

"Very well, Captain. I expect a full report by Friday." Peter Granger said.

White saluted, turned and left the room. After he left the Grangers fell into each other's arms, softly crying. Their little girl, despite being a very capable warrior, was out in the field with very little backup on a very dangerous op. Peter Granger had a bad feeling about it, like he may never see his little girl again.

* * *

Sirius groaned and rolled over when he heard the door bell. He was warm and comfortable and did not was to get up.

"Was that the door." The sleepy female voice said from beside him.

"Merlin, I hope not." He replied, getting a little giggle from his bed-mate. "Oh quite you."

The doorbell rang again and he finally had to admit that he had to get up. He sat up on the bed and glanced over at his girlfriend as he quickly got dressed. Long, dark brown hair kept in a ponytail. Soulful eyes that, depending on what she wore, were either Hazel, Blue or an aqua green. A lithe figure with well defined legs, a taught stomach and well formed breasts that were neither small nor large. About a handful, as the old saying goes. Mary Williams was her name and she was as Muggle as they come, the waitress he had taken out the previous year after coffee with Moony. They had been dating ever since and two months ago he had told her everything… magic, his status as Lord of House Black, his Godson Harry, the whole bag, and then he had asked her to move in with him. Of course she had said yes. She still found the little magical idiosyncrasies funny, like saying 'Merlin' instead of 'God'.

He loved Mary, was even considering asking her to marry him. She was the only one for him… now. The only one he had cared for since Lilly Evans. They were so different from each other but he loved them both. But this time he could actually get the girl, rather than watching her fall in love with his best friend.

The doorbell rang again.

"Hold your bloody horses, I'm coming." He yelled.

He stormed out into the living room and yanked open the door.

"This better be bloody important." He growled before noticing who was at his door.

It was the Weasley Twins, Fred and George, for once their expressions grim.

"Can we come in? There's been a… development." George said.

"Siri, baby. Who is it?" Mary said, coming out of the bedroom wearing only one of his shirts.

"Sirius." Fred said. "I think you are going to need to sit down."

Sirius sat on the sofa and Mary, sensing that something bad had happened, rushed to his side for support. Then the twins told their story and Sirius' world fell in, his only anchor was Mary.

* * *

Neville was grim as he lead the returning Order forces up the long road from Hogsmeade station to Hogwarts itself. Moral was not good. Fred and George, who had gone to talk to Sirius, had been on the other side of the city when Harry was taken, assisting Hermione in taking down sites one, two and three. They had been in a mess afterwards, which had not helped the other Order members. Michelle had needed to be sedated on the flight back after she realised the Luna was not coming. She had screamed that she was Luna's Spotter and needed to be with her.

Neville himself felt bad that Hermione had not let him go after Harry, but he understood why Hermione and Luna had stayed. Ever since first year, Harry and Hermione had been practically joined at the hip, something that had only grown stronger with the 'new Hermione'. Luna and Harry was a strange and special thing. No one really understood it, not even them, but it was like a bond of suffering and slightly broken people from the tragedies in their childhoods.

He would have stayed too but knew in those circumstances he would have been a liability. They needed to be stealthy, something he was not good at.

As they approached the main entrance they were met by the three Headmasters, the four Hogwarts Head of House, the three Champions and their Security Escorts. Fleur and Victor were only really there because Susan and Ron had given them a choice. Come to the Entrance or stay locked in your dorms.

"Report, Sergeant." Cedric ordered, noticing the missing faces of Hermione, Harry, and four Sergeants.

"Operation successful. Seven KIA, two MIA. The Grand Marshall and Sergeant Lovegood are on S&R." Neville replied.

"Report to the briefing room, I want a full rundown." Cedric replied.

"Yes, Lieutenant." Neville replied.

The Order members all filed in, ignoring the teachers. Fleur and Victor were escorted back inside.

"What does KIA mean?" Dumbledore asked when the teachers were alone.

"It means they are dead." Flitwick replied before turning to re-enter the castle.

Professor McGonagall just hoped none of her house members were dead. She had not seen the faces of Harry or the Weasley Twins.

TBC…


	24. Chapter 23

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

Minister for Magic Fudge sat in his office with the latest report from Hogwarts. For some reason Granger, Potter and their little army had mostly disappeared for quite some time, but the last report indicated that her forces were back, but Potter and Granger were not among them.

"This could work to our advantage." Under Secretary Deloris Umbridge said.

Fudge considered this for a few minutes.

"No." He said.

"But…"

"I said no." Fudge replied, making a decision on his own for the first time in his life. "We have no idea what Potter and Granger are up to, and should we try anything then we will have Black all over us. Plus if we make a move and fail, our credibility will be somewhere below the Thestral Showjumping Committee. Unless we get some new information, we will wait at least two months before considering any move."

"Yes, Minister."

* * *

Harry's toes were hot and sore. He idly thought that focusing on his feet was strange considering all of the other pain he was suffering. The two men dropped him on the floor, the friction that had been hurting his toes fading as they left, making all the other pain crash back in a wave.

It was only Harry and Kate in the cell now. The SAS trooper, Biggs or Bragg or Boggs, had not lasted past the second day, he had suffered severe internal bleeding from his first 'session'. Harry pushed himself up on to hands and knees, his every muscle and joint aching, crawled over to where Kate was sitting against the wall and dropped down beside her, his head in her lap and his back towards the wall. Kate gently stroked his hair as he slowly relaxed from the 'session'.

This had been their world for the last… god knows how long. The fact that they were both naked never even registered to them anymore. After each 'session' they would comfort each other, trying to ease the pain. In the long hours between, when both were left alone they talked or simply sat together in silence, a comfortable ease had formed that made Harry wonder if this was what having a sister was like. Of course then they would come, take one away leaving the other alone with their fears, until the taken was returned and the cycle would start again.

Harry luxuriated in the simple pleasure of having Kate run her hands through his hair. Six hours prior their positions had been reversed with Kate clinging to his shoulder crying while he had eased her pain.

Harry was no stranger to physical pain, not after living with the Dursleys, having a Basilisk fang through his arm, numerous muscles strains and torn ligaments during Order training. It was the emotional pain that was getting to him. The worry was not when they took him, but when the took Kate, and the knowledge that whenever they took her she was always gone longer than he was and suffered more in ways he could not imagine and did not want to. No, emotional pain was much newer and more difficult for Harry to deal with. Hermione being petrified and Ginny disappearing in Second Year. The nervousness of meeting Hermione's parents, though why that would make him nervous still escaped him. Hermione unconscious in the spare room with a wound in her back. These things were still new and scary to Harry and now he faced them anew every time they came for Kate. And he had not even known Kate that well before this happened, now she was one of the four most important people in his life, with Hermione, Luna and Sirius.

* * *

Neville sat in the Great hall, picking at his food and idly, rhythmically tapping the table with his metallic left hand. Ron was sitting next to him and the twins were across the Gryffindor table. The mood among the four was glum, particularly since most of the hall was chatting excitedly about the just announced Yule Ball. Susan and Cedric at the Hufflepuff table also looked grim while Michelle was absent from the hall, not taking Luna's absence well. The squad of Order troopers stationed around the hall hid their emotions behind a mask of professionalism

The other Gryffindors around the four went silent and stared at something behind Neville. Neville and Ron turned around to see Fleur Delacour and another of the French girls.

"Excuse me, Sergeants." Fleur said, being very careful to use proper ranks, something Ron had stressed the importance of. "My apologies for the interruption, but Janet and I just wished to express our sympathies for your losses and hope that um... Grand Marshall is it? Yes, Grand Marshall Granger and Sergeant Lovegood are successful in retrieving Staff Sergeant Potter and… my apologies I can not remember your other missing member's name."

"Sergeant West." Ron replied.

"Thank you." Fleur replied. "Yes, Sergeant West."

"Thank you for your concern." Neville replied.

Janet said something low in French that none of the Order members could hear.

"I'm sorry. What was that?" Neville growled.

"Sorry. My English not good." Janet said, her French accent heavy.

"She said that we miss Sergeant Lovegood in the Ravenclaw common room, and are worried about Sergeant Waters." Fleur translated.

"My apologies Miss…" Neville began.

"Renault. Janet Renault." The girl replied.

"My apologies Miss Renault, but we are simply worried about our team mates and grieving our losses." Neville replied, indicating to the black armband they wore over their uniform.

"We honour to wear if allow." Janet said in her limited English.

Fred stood up and whistled, attracting the attention of half the hall, but most importantly the other Order members. Fred did a rapid series of hand signs that no one but the Order understood. After a rapid exchange of hand signs between Fred, Cedric and Sergeant Miller, Fred turned back to the two French girls.

"We appreciate your concern." Fred replied.

Fred and George both took off their armbands and handed them over to the girls. The girls reverently took the armbands, put them on and then curtsied deeply.

"Any student or staff member from any school found wearing an armband without Order authorisation will not be pleased with the result." Lieutenant Diggory announced.

* * *

Luna's finger smoothly squeezed the trigger and a three round burst flew down the corridor and blew three perfect holes in a tight cluster in the forehead of the man who had just poked his head around the corner to fire his pistol. Hermione had taken cover behind a box further down the corridor, freeing Luna to leapfrog forward. Hermione's P90 cut down two men as Luna moved forward.

After the first few days, the leads to those who took Harry, West and Bragg had dried up. After nearly two weeks, it looked like they would never find them, but then they had gotten a bit of Intel through MI6's informant network that lead them to these guys. These were not the people who took Harry and the others, but they had helped them go to ground.

Luna reached the corner, checked left which was a dead end after a meter of empty, door less hallway and then covered right as Hermione moved up. The right hand hallway had two doors, one a few meters in on the left and the other at the end of the hall on the right. The first door was their immediate target, and the office papers inside. The second was their way out. Through the cells and the loading dock. The hallway was empty so they moved up together.

Luna crossed the closed doorway, switching to a left handed grip on her MP10. A low explosive breaching charge took care of the lock and blew the door open, allowing Luna a smooth entry, followed closely by Hermione. There were three men in the room, two obviously bodyguards to the third. Luna, by feel, switched her MP10 from three round burst to single shot as she assessed the room, then put a single round in the right hand bodyguard's forehead and a round through the right shoulder of the third man, causing him to drop his pistol, as Hermione shredded the second bodyguard with her P90's tumblers.

Hermione interrogated the third man, the local boss of the operation, while Luna rummaged through the files. Half an hour later, with the body of the local boss cooling on the floor they left with four possible locations. As they made their way out through the cells, both girls freed those trapped in the cages, helping them outside. Under a block away there were a number of people gathered to help those they freed, mostly from Interpol thanks to backroom information channels with MI6 and the SAS. Hermione handed over the seven year old girl who she had been carrying on her hip while Luna passed the hand of the six year old boy she had been holding to another helper and then watched as the daisy chain of children all holding hands passed.

Hermione pulled a small controller out of her combat vest and looked over at Luna, who nodded. The darker haired girl pressed the button and the warehouse a block away went up from the explosives planted within. Luna idly wondered if anyone had still been alive when the warehouse went up, but then decided she did not care. If you agree to people smuggle for a paedophile sex slave ring, you deserve what you get.

* * *

"The first location was a bust." The Grand Marshall said. "Any new Intel on the next location from your end?"

"Negative." Agent Jane Granger replied, the image of her and Major Peter Granger flickering slightly on one side of the screen.

The satellite link was set up in the safe-house apartment where Hermione and Luna were hold up for the night. The other half of the screen had the much more flickering image, occasionally dissolving into static, of Lieutenant Diggory and Private Waters. Michelle had been very tense when the image had first appeared but she had relaxed as soon as Luna had appeared on her screen.

"We believe that the remaining locations are the most likely option." Jane said. "There have been no reports of the kind of activity on any of the major airports, ports or the boarders. We now have people at all these points but if they were moved, it was quietly."

"I know my people." Hermione said. "They would not go quietly if they had any option."

The Grand Marshall noticed Michelle tilt her head slightly to the side. Now for anyone else that would have been innocuous but then Hermione also noticed a slight hand twitch. Michelle was a fully trained and extremely competent Spotter and half of the tied best Sniper team in the Order. No move she makes is not deliberate. Then Luna tapped one finger on the table and then blinked twice. The team, like most of the really great Sniper teams, had developed their own private language and were now having a private conversation, one that was making Michelle, to Hermione's trained eye, more comfortable and relaxed.

"Ok. Give me a status report for Hogwarts."

"General Moral is good." Cedric reported. "Order Moral is not good. West is popular among the Order here and they are worried that three of us Originals are in harms way while they are stuck back here."

* * *

Harry sat up and saw Hermione standing over him.

"Well what have you gotten yourself into this time?" Hermione scolded.

There was something not quite right. Something was wrong that he just could not put his finger on

"I'm sorry, Mione." He whispered.

He closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them the spectral forms of a half dozen Order members stood around the Grand Marshall, including Luna and Michelle.

"We died trying to save you." Luna's voice was a soft and ethereal as ever yet somehow was accusing.

"Luna, no. Not you." Harry pleaded. "Me a thousand times before you."

The Grand Marshall, her face a grim mask, drew her knife and stepped towards him. The blade plunged downwards.

Harry jerked awake. It had been a dream. Kate's warm form was up against his side as she slept, fitfully. Harry took a deep, calming breath. That was when what had been bothering him in the dream finally clicked. The smell, or more accurately the absence of a smell. There had been no smell in the dream. The cell on the other hand smelt of sweat, dirt, dried blood, waste from the bucket in the corner, the sour smell of the gruel that they periodically push through a flap in the door and the slight undertone of warm metal that was almost a taste instead of a smell from the rusting grate around the light.

Kate snuggled in to his side, her breasts encasing his arm, not that he noticed, and he absently ran his other hand through her hair. He just hoped that none of the Order died coming after him. If it was just him, he would have let himself die rather than risk the others, but there was Kate to think about and he could not leave her alone.

TBC…


	25. Chapter 24

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

Cedric looked around the training room and sighed. Without their real commander, the third-in-command and two Sergeants, the Order was on the brink of falling apart. It was not the fear that Staff Sergeant Potter and Sergeant West were dead. Others had died in combat; it was part of the risk one took when you joined the Order. All of them, particularly some of the older members, were ready to die. No, it was the not knowing that was wearing on them. The uncertainty. It affected everyone differently.

The twins had locked themselves in a small room off the armoury and were working on a series of crazy new weapons ideas. Ron and three other troopers were running not quite flat out on the treadmill, and had been doing so for the last two hours strait.

"Bugger!" Neville shouted as he put his metal arm strait through yet another heavy punching bag.

Larks was sitting in a corner obsessively cleaning his sniper scope. Others were lifting weights or wrestling. A few had buried themselves in training manuals or speciality texts, be it French or Ordinance Disposal. But the one pair that Cedric's eyes kept returning to was Susan Bones and Kathryn Li, but it was out of worry not lust, despite the fact they were sweaty and in tight fitting clothes.

The two were officially having a boxing/unarmed combat sparring session, with light gloves and headgear. Unofficially they were attempting to beat each other to a living pulp. Not out of spite or anger, but because of the uncertainty. The fact that Susan was holding her own was worrying because it meant they both were out of sorts. Under normal circumstances, deadly Kathryn Li could have wiped the floor with Susan Bones and turned her into a human pretzel in twenty seconds flat. Now, however, worry and disappointment that she had been left behind to babysit Victor had given Susan strength and endurance, while doubt and shame, the she had not been able to prevent the ambush or allowed to remain to search for the captives, had weakened Kathryn's resolve and made her unfocused. Susan landed a right cross on Kathryn's jaw, but the Spotter responded with a swift kick to the Sergeant's stomach.

Cedric called a halt to the training and got everyone back on their duty assignments, be it sniper coverage for Larks and Li, Patrols through the halls, Sentry duty in the Great Hall or the main gates, Champion Close Protection Detail or weapons drills. The Order masks came over those with duties outside of the Order only zone of the Chest, a mask of professional competence and reserve that they had built up, but now was strained almost to breaking point.

The waiting was tearing them all apart. Everything would be better when the Grand Marshall and Luna got back. Be it on their own two feet, on a stretcher or in a box, they would bring Harry and Kate home. The uncertainty would be over and there would be time for everyone to heal.

* * *

The six moved into the underground compound. Reaching an intersection, Hermione silently signalled for a halt. The last pair turned and covered the corridor behind them. This was the third possible location and the most likely as unlike the first two, or the fourth, this location could be entered and left while completely concealed from the bustle of the surrounding neighbourhoods. The four extra members were SAS soldiers who, with authorisation from Major Granger, had come to help out and search for this missing mate Bragg.

Actually it was good and weird for Hermione to be working with two of these SAS soldiers, Williams and Hicks, especially with Luna involved. The first time around, after Harry's death and during the war with Voldemort's son before he had fled into space, Hermione and Luna had worked with a few teams of Muggle Soldiers, including these two Privates, of course Hicks had been a Sergeant then, and they had all been present in the operation where that Luna had taken the curse that had blown off her arm, desperately trying to stem the bleeding, watching her go pail, got into shock, cock her head and smile at something no one else could see and then slowly close here eyes. Never to open them again.

The Grand Marshall snapped herself out of her memories and focused

"There are Magicals here. At least one, maybe two." Hermione announced. "Take the right."

The team moved down the right hand corridor, their weapons at the ready.

"Luna, I only got a general location. When we get close keep an eye out for their auras."

Luna nodded. There was a chance now, but if Harry was dead, Merlin help their captors because she would be coming after them, and would probably have to fight the Grand Marshall for rights to do them damage.

* * *

"Cell door left. Hicks, Johnson, cover the corridor. Williams, Martins, cover behind." Hermione ordered. "Luna, C2 on the door."

Hermione, standing with her back against the cold concrete wall next to the door, let her eyes flick to the two SAS teams while Luna placed the C2 low explosive breaching charge into the lock of the cell.

"Set." Luna said, joining Hermione against the wall. "Fire in the hole."

With a flash and a puff of smoke, the charge did its work and the Grand Marshall and the Sniper Sergeant swept into the cell, to find Sergeant West, alone and naked, sitting against the wall.

"Grand Marshall!" Kate West exclaimed as she painfully stood up and tried to stand at attention, but her left leg did not quite work the way it should. "We need to hurry, they just took Staff Sergeant Potter for an interrogation session."

"Where?" Luna demanded.

"Left. Right at the branch. Third door on the left." Kate wheezed.

"Williams, Martins, stay with West. Hicks, Johnson, with me." Hermione said, following Luna who was out the door the second Kate finished speaking.

"Where's Bragg?" Williams' voice followed Hermione out the door.

* * *

Luna shot the guard as the team moved out of the complex. As he fell another guard came out of the opposite door, but this one had the brass of an officer on his shoulders. Luna swung her MP10, not sure she was going to beat him to the trigger when a spell came shooting over her shoulder and hit the officer. The Officer went stiff for a second then collapsed, with blood trickling down his face from his eyes, nose and mouth, while his skin went red from sub-dermal bleeding.

Luna glanced behind her seeing Harry and Kate, both dressed in stolen uniforms from guards and having to support each other in order to move, with Kate lowering her wand. Their wands and The Potter House Sword were the only possessions they had recovered. Behind them were the SAS troopers, carrying the body of the fallen Bragg.

"He's the one who took the most liberties." Kate said.

"Increased the blood pressure to cause haemorrhages?" Hermione asked from her point position with Luna as they moved on.

"No. Turned every red blood cell into a centimetre long, five sided razor blade for one second." Kate replied.

"Nice." The Grand Marshall said.

"Remind me never to piss you off, Sis." Harry said.

"Will do, Bro." Kate replied.

Hermione and Luna glanced at each other at the familial terms.

* * *

Sergeant Miller walked into the Great Hall, only the other Order members seeing past his professional manner. He walked strait to Lieutenant Diggory, saluted and passed a message slip to the officer. Cedric nodded and Miller walked to the back of the room, wanting to watch the reaction. Cedric stood and walked to the lectern in front of the teachers table, usually only used by Dumbledore.

"Attention. We have just received word from Grand Marshall Granger in regards to the rescue operation." Cedric announced, his voice even and emotionless.

Everyone, students and teachers, held their breath, not sure if they were about to celebrate or mourn.

"At Sixteen-Twenty-Two local time, The Grand Marshall and Sergeant Lovegood lead a rescue team into a heavy fortified enemy bunker where Staff Sergeant Potter, Sergeant West and an allied trooper were being held. The allied trooper was deceased, however both Staff Sergeant Potter and Sergeant West were recovered alive." Cedric paused at this point, waiting for the cheering to settle down. "They are currently being held at an allied Medical facility on the Continent to recover from the effects of 'Aggressive interrogation'. Thank you."

A general concerned mummer ran through the student and staff.

"What is aggressive interrogation?" one fifth year Ravenclaw girl asked, and then noticed several of the Beauxbaton Girls go pail, including Miss Delacour and Miss Renault. Michelle Waters simply looked angry.

"It is a polite way of saying Torture." Fleur replied.

"And in Kate West's case, probably repeated brutal rape." Michelle added, effectively shutting down all conversation for that section of the Ravenclaw table.

* * *

Harry sat down in the padded chair, glad to get off his feet after the short walk from his room. His entire body ached from the torture he had received, but he was lucky in that the tortures were professionals, not for the fact that they could cause the most pain, but because they were experts at causing pain without doing a lot of damage.

A woman in her early thirties came in and sat down behind the desk.

"Good afternoon, Staff Sergeant." The woman said. "My name is Doctor Jennifer Wallace. I have been assigned as you psychologist."

"Afternoon." Harry replied. "I was told my recovery was going well and the team would be transferred home in the next day or two."

"That's correct." Jennifer replied, checking her notes. "Almost all of your injuries have healed well. The same is true for Sergeant West. Both of you will undergo extensive physiotherapy upon your return."

"So why are you being assigned to me now?" Harry asked.

"Oh, I thought you had been informed." Jennifer replied. "I will be returning to Hogwarts with you, both as your psychologist and to oversee you rehabilitation. After I graduated from Hogwarts I went to a Muggle University."

"So what do you want to talk about?" Harry asked.

"That's my question." Jennifer replied. "I know that what you have been through is traumatic, so we don't need to talk about any subject until you are ready, so you get to decide what we talk about. For now I'm here to listen."

Harry sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Do you know if any of our people were hurt in the rescue?" he asked.

"No, none were. But I understand they rescued over thirty children."

Harry sighed, trying to think of another topic he was ready to talk about.

TBC….


	26. Chapter 25

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

Dumbledore sat at the teacher's table in the Great Hall at dinner. He was pleased that the general feeling in the was positive, with the Yule Ball coming up next month and the recent news that Harry Potter and the other captured Order member were rescued.

He was concerned about the Order and what it would mean for his plans in regards to both the future of the Wizarding World and the defeat of Voldemort, but he could not fault them on their effectiveness when they did engage with Death Eaters. For now he planed but would not take action until he knew more.

Suddenly Dumbledore noticed every single Order member suddenly stopped and got a far away look in their eyes, some even putting one hand to their ear, something seeming to peak out behind the calm mask that all the Order members wore. After a few seconds, they all refocused on the room.

"Two minutes." Cedric called out.

Then, for the first time since the attack last year, every single Order member ran out of the room at full speed.

"All students say here." Dumbledore ordered before rising and making his way down the central corridor, followed by Madam Maxime, Karkaroff, and his four heads of house.

Before he even reached the doors into the corridor, Dumbledore heard the pounding a lot of feet. Opening the door he expected to see the Order decked out for combat and rushing out the door, but instead he the entire Order was standing at attention in squads, all dressed in their formal uniform. Then the front doors opened.

"Present arms." Cedric ordered, and they all saluted as four figures entered.

Hermione and Luna entered first, dressed in their combat uniforms and weapons, with Harry and Kate entered behind them, dressed in borrowed fatigues and Kate had a walking stick to help her with her injured left leg.

"Welcome home, Grand Marshall." Cedric said.

Dumbledore got the hint of a sense of relief from all of the Order members.

"Yes. Welcome back Lady Granger." Dumbledore said. "It is good to see you, Lord Potter, Miss Lovegood and Miss West."

* * *

Luna walked into her dorm room, locking the door behind her, and dropped the towel from around her body, revealing she was only dressed in a bra and a pair of panties. Michelle was sitting on one of the beds in a pair of very short pants and a tank top. Luna made her way over to the bed, her hair still damp, and lay down with her head on Michelle's lap. Michelle ran her hand over and over through Luna's long blonde hair.

"I'm glad you are back." Michelle said.

"Hmmm." Luna moaned contentedly.

Michelle sat petting Luna's hair in silence for a few minutes.

"Why did you say?" Michelle asked.

"Because it was Harry." Luna replied.

"Do you love him?" Michelle asked, tentatively after a few seconds.

Luna rolled onto her back and looked up at Michelle for a moment, then sat up next to her, both with their backs against the wall.

"In a way." Luna said, her voice serious as only a few people had ever heard from her. "Not in a romantic way. How can I explain…? I know what everyone calls me."

"You are not Loony." Michelle said.

"Yes, I am. Not to the extent everyone thinks, but I am insane." Luna explained. "I see things that no one else can see, and things that are not there, and I can often not tell the difference. The Loony persona I present to the world is my place to hide, a way to protect myself. Only three people have ever seen through to who I really am. You have made the effort to see through the mask, but you only see the surface of who I am. The Grand Marshall sees too, but I think that is a result of many years of her keen intellect observing. Harry on the other hand does not need see past the mask, he simply knows."

"What do you mean, he simply knows?" Michelle asked.

"I have experienced things in my life that you can not even imagine, nor would you want to. Harry had had the same kind of experiences. We have a bond of suffering and pain." Luna explained, with real sadness in her voice.

Michelle simply leaned over and hugged Luna.

* * *

Lord Voldemort screamed in rage. If he was strong enough, and not trapped in this infant-like body, he would have Crucioed the two Death Eaters in front of him. His plans were unravelling, and fast.

Over the summer, his Death Eater's attack on the Quidditch World Cup had failed miserably. Then his loyal servant, Barty Crouch Jr., had been discovered impersonating the new Hogwarts DADA teacher. Now the news out of Europe.

Some idiot in one of the groups he had set up on the Continent, either as a fallback position or as a power base for his future domination of Europe, had moved too visibly and without orders. Not only were they taken down by Potter's muggle loving group that had been at the World Cup, but then some of the Muggles they were working with, another thing that annoyed the Dark Lord, had captured the Potter boy, and then let him be rescued. If the idiots did go off and do something that happens to bring the Potter boy to them, the first thing they should have done was let him know.

But no. Some muggle pawns had taken charge of the boy and two others. Of course they had no idea that a man, if he still could be called that, like Voldemort even existed. They had wanted to know what European faction the captives were from and why they were moving into their territory. At least at first. It quickly devolved into torture for torture's sake.

If they were not dead, and filthy muggles, Voldemort might have considered them suitable recruits. But now Potter was free and back in England.

"Summon Lucius." The Dark Lord ordered.

He needed to plan, and put pressure on Potter.

"And milk Nagini." He shouted after the departing Death Eaters.

* * *

Harry sat with his back against a cold stone wall, the wind whipping through his clothes and the weak sunlight shining down on him. Despite the cold of early December, today Harry needed to be outside, in an open space away from confining walls.

The Hogwarts grounds were deserted, as all the students were in class and at this time of day the Order patrol was in the Forbidden Forrest. But Harry did not have class, or Order duties. The teachers had given him some a few weeks out of classes to recover, although he did have to do some assignments to make up the missed work. He was not worried though, this year, before the deployment, he had been fourth in the year, behind Hermione, a Slytherin called Daphne Greengrass, and Susan Bones. His assignments were all progressing well, so he had been able to take the break easily when the need to be outside had come over him.

"This patch of snow free?"

Harry's head snapped around at the voice but even before the move was complete he relaxed.

"Sure Sis." He replied.

Kate West hurdled the small stone dividing wall and settled down right next to Harry. She needed to be outside too. They didn't talk about it but they both knew. They needed time, something that the Grand Marshall had given them by pulling them from the active duty roster. They still training and Order classes, but were not assigned watches or patrols.

After almost an hour, Kate finally stood, and began brushing off her pants.

"I got a session with Wallace." Kate said.

"And I got to get back to my assignments." Harry replied, also standing.

On impulse Harry gave Kate a hug, she stiffened for a second and then relaxed into the sibling like hug.

"Good luck with the shrink, Sis."

"Thanks, Bro."

* * *

"Excuse me, Staff Sergeant Potter." A female voice said behind him in French.

Harry, walking through the sparse crowd in the main courtyard, turned to find a darked haired, seventeen year old girl in a Baubuxton Uniform, who was wearing a black armband.

"You must be Janet Renault." Harry replied, keeping the conversation in French.

"Yes, Staff Sergeant." Janet replied. "First let me express my relief that Sergeant West and yourself were rescued."

"Thank you. Is there something I can help you with?" he asked.

"I wished to ask you if you wished to go to the Yule Ball with me." Janet said.

"Miss Renault, I am three years younger that you. Is there not some older students you would prefer to go with?"

"I find you interesting. Even before you went away." She admitted.

"Miss Renault… Janet. To be honest I am not even sure I will be attending the Yule Ball. Please do not misunderstand. I have been through a lot recently. This is not a not, but it is not a yes either." Harry replied.

"I understand. I will await your response." Janet replied, before nodding, turning and leaving.

* * *

Harry, Hermione and Ron sat in the Gryffindor common room late at night, the embers of the fire glowing in the almost deserted room.

"After Miss Renault, seven other girls asked me to the Yule Ball." Harry said. "But they all seem to be part of the Boy-Who-Lived fan club."

"Well, Renault isn't." Ron replied, "Fleur… Champion Delacour said that there is no Boy-Who-Lived publicity in France. None of them knew who you were before they came here and they only judge you on what you do."

"That's good to know." Harry replied.

"So what do you going to do?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know." Harry replied, rubbing his head. "Are you two going?"

"Yeah." Ron replied with a blush.

"So did you ask Fleur or did she ask you?" Hermione said, putting aside their Order roles and just being friends.

"Umm… I asked." Ron said, his face now as red as his hair.

"What about you, Mione?" Harry asked, taking the pressure of his male best friend.

"I will be attending, but I will not be taking a date. I will be officially representing the Order." Hermione replied. "If you want my advice, go with Miss Renault and have some fun. I don't think she is expecting anything and that she genuinely finds you interesting."

"You think?" Harry said.

"Go for it mate. Besides, she is one of the hottest Baubuxton girls."

"Charming Ron." Hermione quipped.

TBC…


	27. Chapter 26

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

Harry sat in the Gryffindor Common Room, working on his homework with Neville, Ron and Ginny. Since his return he preferred to do his homework in the Common Room as opposed to his private study or the Library, it was the noise and the human contact. He was completing a three foot essay on the use of everyday spells in combat for Professor Moody, his example being the use of the Mobiliarbus Charm to pelt an opponent with objects from multiple directions.

He looked up as the portal opened and admitted Hermione, dressed in formal Order uniform, and Professor McGonagall entered.

"Sergeant Potter." Hermione called. "Front and centre"

Harry stood, moved in front of Hermione and McGonagall and saluted.

"Sergeant, you have some visitors." The Professor said. "Follow me."

Harry and Hermione followed the Professor down to a small room near the Great Hall.

"Sirius!" Harry called when he spotted one of the two waiting adults.

Harry raced in and gave his Godfather a hug.

"Hello, pup." Sirius said, hugging his Godson back.

The woman waiting with Sirius approached Hermione and extended her hand to shake.

"Mary Williams. Sirius has told me all about you. So, do I call you're your Grace, Lady Granger, Lady Gryffindor or Grand Marshall?"

"Mary, for the lady who has brought joy back to the mangy old mutt, you can call me Hermione." She replied, giving Mary a hug. "Mangy Mutt, get over here and give me a hug."

"Hermione." Sirius said with a grin.

"Watch it, that Mutt is mine." Mary said with a grin.

"Hello Ma'am. My name is Harry Potter." Harry said, approaching the unfamiliar woman.

"I know. Sirius talks about you all the time." Mary replied.

"Harry, spend some time with your Godfather. Catch up. Sirius, Miss Williams, I would like to speak to you after you are done." Hermione said.

"Thanks Mione." Harry said. "You think you could send West in? I want her to meet Sirius."

"Of course." Hermione said before turning to leave the room and putting her hand to her ear, with McGonagall following her out.

"So, who is the West person?" Sirius asked.

"Kate's like my Sister." Harry replied. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something."

* * *

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Jennifer Wallace asked, taking a sip from her tea.

"Harry introduced me to his Godfather." Kate West replied from the couch.

"So is that a problem?" Jennifer replied.

"I don't know." Kate began. "I mean I get why he did it. Sirius is the only family he's got. But it's strange."

"Did they make you feel unwelcome?"

"No." Kate said quickly. "He's deeply attached to his Godfather. He needs to feel like he has a family. I get that, I really do."

Kate fell silent, and Jennifer just sat there and waited.

"I assume you've read my file." Kate asked, getting a nod from Jennifer. "You know the details. My mother died giving birth to me. Dad died just before I entered Hogwarts."

"Yes." Wallace said. "I know all the names and dates. What I don't know is what you feel about those events and what effect meeting your effective brother's surrogate family has had."

Kate sighed and lay back on the couch.

"I'm not sure I know either."

* * *

"This is your show, Lieutenant." The Grand Marshall said, leaning back in her chair around the planning table, which showed a mock up of the ground floor of Hogwarts and the immediate grounds. The Squad Sergeants gathered around the table, except for Harry and Kate who were leaning against the wall.

"Alright." Cedric said, running a hand through his hair. "We will deploy as three teams for the operation. Team One, led by Sergeant Miller, will have perimeter patrol, with sweeps inside the Forrest and of the main approach from Hogsmeade, with sniper teams on covering the Forrest approach, the Main approach and the mountains."

"Who's on sniper cover?" Miller asked.

"Harding and Watts, Bollinger and Clark, Warne and Waugh." Cedric replied.

A round of nods circled the table. They were all good teams.

"Team Two will provide close order coverage. They will patrol these corridors, check ID's at the door and provide visible security within the hall. We will have static posts here, here, here and here, as well as roving patrols within the hall itself. Any signs of disturbance then the patrols move in." Cedric continued. "The Grand Marshall has command of Team Two."

This seemed to surprise several of the Sergeants but after a moment they nodded.

"Team Three will be undercover, mixing with the students and ready to respond to any threat."

"Who will command Team Three?" Bronson asked.

"Nominally command will be shared by Sergeants Fred and George Weasley, but Team Three comes under overall command of Team Two. Also with Staff Sergeant Potter, Sergeant Longbottom, Sniper Sergeant Lovegood and myself attending. The younger Sergeant Weasley and Sergeant Bones' will still have primary responsibility for personal protection of the visiting Champions." Cedric replied.

"I don't think we will have a problem there." Miller said with a laugh.

"Where will Larks and Li be, if not on sniper cover?" Kate asked from her place up against the wall, and right next to Harry.

"They will be in Team Three." Hermione provided. "Li is our best operator in unarmed and close quarters combat. Larks is not bad there and, let's face it, Li would kill the lot of us if Larks was not with her, and she has told him that if he does not dance with her then she will rip is spleen out and break his scope. I'm not sure which scared him more but I hear he convinced Marie St Clair to teach him to dance."

"Bugger." Harry whispered to Kate. "I guess I need to learn too."

"Just remember, 1, 2, 3, 4 and don't step on her feet." Kate whispered back.

"Oh you're a great help." He replied with a roll of his eyes.

* * *

"Minister, you have a meeting in the fourth floor boardroom in three minutes."

Minister Fudge looked up at his Junior Undersecretary.

"I don't recall any meeting being scheduled." Fudge replied.

"It was a late addition, Minister. Mister Crouch and Madam Bones both sent invitations."

"Very well." Fudge said with a sigh as he stood and left the office.

Cornelius Fudge hated when his department heads sprung last minute meetings on him. The only thing he really hated more was actually have to make decisions. He was a politician, damn it, not a decision maker. He fumed as he walked through the hallway. He just hoped the meeting was not about some political move that either Black or those two damn kids, Potter and Granger, were making. He had been building support for his new act slowly but surely, which would effectively outlaw Potter and Granger and their little band. He had to move slowly as he had burnt a lot of political capital during his failed opposition to the Judicial Separation Act.

That had cost him, and not just politically, but financially. He could no longer ensure the outcome of a trial, and charge handsomely for it. Since the enactment there had been at least four cases where a rich pureblood was found guilty of some crime that they usually paid him to cover up. And one case where a Muggleborn was found innocent, despite the accusation of a Pureblood… and more disturbing that accusing Pureblood was then charged with the crime and with Perjury. Unthinkable.

But he had hope for his new act. While he had to gather support slowly, it seemed Potter and Granger were not gathering support at all. Even Black had started to rabble rouse but then had stopped, as if he knew they could not win.

Fudge entered the conference room and stopped dead. At one end of the table sat Barty Crouch and that damned moral crusader Amelia Bones. It was the three people at the other end of the table that made him stop. One was sitting at the table, he looked to be in his mid twenties, with a rugged sort of face and blond hair. The other two stood behind the man. One was a very pretty blond woman with pail blue eyes and a fit lean physique while the other was a compact, but somehow lithe, dark haired woman who seemed to be made up of curves and hard muscle. But all three were in the red and yellow uniforms of Potter and Ganger's damn… organisation.

"Minister Fudge." The Blond man said. "Pleasure to meet you. My name is Sergeant Bronson, my companions are PFC Carter and PFC St Clair."

Fudge stared at the three of them the way he would stare at a Griffin sitting in his office, yet the irony of the comparison was completely lost on him. Cater, the blond woman, simply nodded but St Clair looked him up and down with a blank stare. Suddenly he felt like something she had scraped off the bottom of her boot.

"And to what do we owe this… pleasure?" Fudge asked.

"Your Department Heads, knowing how you like to stay informed of all major events, thought you would like to be included on the security briefing for the upcoming Tri-Wizard Tournament's Yule Ball." Bronson replied.

Fudge stood dumbfounded for a second.

"Since the Tri-Wizard Tournament is a Ministry run Event." Amelia Bones began. "The Sergeant and his superiors thought it prudent to advise the Ministry on what security measures they are implementing to keep both the visiting students and any attending Ministry representatives safe. Thus allowing the Ministry to assure our counterparts in France and Bulgaria that their children are not in any danger."

"I don't see any need for the… Sergeant's involvement in security at the event. A half dozen Auror's should be more than adequate to oversee the event." Fudge replied.

This earned him a glare from Crouch, a disapproving head shake from Bones and flat stares from the three at the other end of the table.

"You seem to operating under a misunderstanding, Minister." Bronson said. "You assume that you have any say in the security measures being implemented for the Ball. This is simply not the case. This briefing is simply a courtesy. And besides, Head Auror Bones does not have a spare half dozen Auror's to assign to security detail, thanks to recent increases in workload of the active Auror's, the lower number of eligible graduates for the Auror program and the systematic culling of the Auror ranks over the last three years under a policy implemented by yourself but suggested and… encouraged by Lucius Malfoy."

"How dare you!" Fudge screamed.

"Minister!" Amelia Bones interrupted. "You will sit down and shut up. As Sergeant Bronson pointed out, your presence is a courtesy, on both sides. And the Sergeant is correct. We do not have the resources and even if we did, any significant Auror presence would only cause people to assume there is something to worry about, while the Sergeant's force has been stationed permanently at Hogwarts for over a year and their presence is now routine. Besides, the only Auror I have that could blend into that kind of crowed has just finished training. "

Fudge knew that tone from the damn woman, the same tone suspects heard right as they were charged, so he sat quietly and listened to the Sergeant. Perimeter Patrols, Fields of Fire, Close protection details, fall back positions, choke points. Fudge had no idea what most of these things meant but they did not sound nice, they sounded deadly. Only Amelia Bones dared ask any questions, she seemed to be the only one of the three Ministry staff who understood any of this. Crouch simply seemed grim. The poor bloke was actually going to be there.

After a few hours, the meeting dispersed and Fudge went back to his office. He had been humiliated. Now he had even more reason to want to destroy Potter and Granger. And Bones had now been added to his mental list.

TBC…


	28. Chapter 27

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

Harry looked in the mirror and sighed.

'I am so not ready for this.' He thought to himself as he adjusted to his tie.

"Does this look ok?"

Harry turned to see Ron in his tuxedo dress robes. The only difference between Ron's outfit and Harry's was that Harry's tie and vest were in Potter Blue while Ron's were black.

"You look good, mate." Harry replied, "Come on, let's go."

Harry picked up the Potter Family Sword as he walked past his bed and belted it on to his waist, making sure that it did not crumple his suit.

The pair made their way down through the Gryffindor Common Room, where the Twins were just exiting through the portal with Angelina and Alicia while Neville was waiting for Ginny to come down from the girl's dorm. Neville had added gloves and a top hat to his Tuxedo Dress Robes, making him look almost like a Victorian Gentleman.

Harry debated with himself for the entire walk along to the entrance to the Ravenclaw Common Room. They joined a small band of males waiting outside, primarily for the Baubuxton students as most of those waiting for the Ravenclaws were meeting outside the Great Hall. Just for the night a ward had been set up outside the Ravenclaw common room that served two functions. The first was to only allow Ravenclaws and Baubuxton students to actually approach the entrance, and the second was to alert those within exactly who was waiting outside the common room.

It was only a few minutes after Harry and Ron arrived when the entrance opened to reveal Fleur and Janet. Fleur was dressed in an elegant dark grey dress while Janet was dressed in the same shade of Blue as Harry's tie and vest. With a flick of his wand, Ron turned his black tie and vest into a matching shade of grey with Fleur's dress, which made her smile.

"Just relax." Fleur said softly to Ron, getting a grin from the younger boy.

Harry and Ron in unison, almost as if they had practiced it, bowed in front of their respective dates and presented them with the item they had just conjured. Harry presented a garland of small blue flowers that proceeded to weave themselves into Janet's hair. Ron, on the other hand, presented a single rose. Unlike a normal rose, this one was a pail, almost dusty grey, with a swirl of pink and lavender in the middle and the subtle scent of Cinnamon.

"Is that a Desert Rose?" Fleur asked in awe.

"Unique. Just like you." Ron replied with a slight blush.

The Desert Rose was the most famous magical plant that had gone extinct almost a thousand years ago. According to legend, they were used by the magical Sultans of the Ottomans as a way of indicating the most powerful woman in their Harem, who had power second only to the Sultan himself, and were said to have healing and protective properties.

Both of the boys took the arm of their date and lead them down to the Great Hall.

* * *

"Here you go." Harry said as he handed the fruit punch to Janet. "I made sure it was not the one the Weasley Twins have spiked. Firewhisky does not go well in fruit punch."

"Thank you." Janet said, in heavily accented English.

Harry's eyes automatically scanned the Hall. The Champions had yet to make their entrance to the Hall. Off to Harry's left, Kathryn Li was standing next to a decidedly nervous look Larks, clutching his hand in her own. She was dressed in a simple yet elegant black dress with her dark hair in a tight braid down her back, which made her look stunning. Larks by comparison looked uncomfortable and a bit out of place in his Tuxedo Robes.

Across the central aisle, where there were uniformed Order members in pairs every four feet, Luna and Michelle stood together, also hand in hand, Michelle dressed in a beautiful dark green dress, while Luna was dressed in a man's Tuxedo Robes, with vest and tie in matching colours to Michelle's dress and her long blond hair held back in a loose ponytail.

At the far end of the hall, opposite the main doors and at the end of the aisle, stood the three Headmasters, with Dumbledore in his usual garish robes, and The Grand Marshall Hermione Granger. Hermione was dressed in what she called her 'Evening Dress Uniform'. The dress was a dark burgundy red, with thread of gold marking out the hemline.

The dress was mostly backless, except for a diagonal section that went from her left hip to her right shoulder, roughly an inch wide, which supported the scabbard of the Sword of Gryffindor, with the sword itself sheathed inside. The front of the dress above the waist was slightly hour-glassed in shape, narrowing slightly up from the waist to just above the navel before widening out at the bust line and meeting up at the right shoulder which was secured with the gold and silver star cluster rank insignia of the Grand Marshall. There was a small tie from the widest point of the left bust that secured it to the back section. Below the waist, the skirt flowed in a graceful arc down the front from just below her right hip to just above her left ankle and then made the return arc at the back, leaving her right leg almost completely bare, except for the matching high heels. There was a simple Platinum circlet around her temples and her hair was in an elaborate, but tight, bun at the back of heir head, with a few ringlets flowing down. The circlet was the crown of the Empress of the Easter Reach.

Harry saw Hermione touch her ear, and whisper something.

"Here we go." Harry said to himself.

The doors opened and an Order Herald stepped in.

"Representing the British Ministry of Magic, Head of the Department of International Co-operation, Mister Bartamus Crouch." The Herald called.

Mister Crouch entered the hall alone.

"Representing the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic, Head of the Department of International Co-operation, Mister Vladimir Artinov, accompanied by his wife, Misses Tatiana Artinova."

The Bulgarian Ministry official entered, a stout but handsome man with dark hair, accompanied by his wife, a tall, blond and elegant woman.

"Representing the French Ministry of Magic." The Herald said, pausing for a second. "The Minister for Magic, Lord John-Claude Renault, accompanied by his wife, Lady Stephanie Renault Nee St Clair."

The Lord and Lady who entered were both tall, dark haired and elegant. And Harry instantly recognised them as Janet's parents.

"Well now I'm in trouble." Harry groaned.

"Oh relax, Harry. You are a lord too, no?" Janet whispered to him in French, to which he dumbly nodded.

The herald then introduced the Champions and their Dates. First up were Fleur and Ron, followed by Cedric and Cho Chang, a fifth year Ravenclaw who was in a silver traditional Chinese dress, and finally Victor Krum and Susan Bones, who was in a pail red dress that set off both her hair and Victor's dark red Durmstrang dress robes.

The three Champions and their dates started off the dancing. After one minute Professor Dumbledore led Professor McGonagall out on the dance floor. They were joined almost immediately by Luna and Michelle, Lord and Lady Renault and Kathryn Li dragging a reluctant Larks out onto the floor.

"My Lady, would you care to dance." Harry asked in French, bowing to Janet.

"It would be an Honour, my Lord." Janet replied in kind.

Harry led her out on the dance floor and saw Marie St Clair being asked to dance by five boys, three from Hogwarts and two from Durmstrang, simultaneously. Harry quietly thanked Marie for her dance lessons, and then wondered if Marie was related to Lady Renault Nee St Clair.

* * *

Harry was tired when he came off the dance floor. He had had several dances with Janet and had danced with a number of other girls. He had taken Luna, Michelle and Kate West out on the floor. He was pulled out on the dance floor by Kathryn Li, Marie St Clair and all three of the Gryffindor Chasers, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet.

Harry was escorting Hermione off the dance floor when he was approached by Lord and Lady Renault.

"Lord Potter." Lord Renault said in only slightly accented English. "My Wife Stephanie."

"Lord Renault, Lady Renault." Harry replied. "May I introduce Lady Hermione Granger? Ruling lady of House Gryffindor, Grand Marshall of the Order of the Griffin, and my commanding officer."

"Commanding Officer? I was not aware you were old enough for the British Military." Stephanie said.

"Minister, were you aware of the recent action that freed seventy three children from a paedophile slave ring?" Harry asked.

"Yes. The nice of one of my Department Heads and the son of our Head Auror were freed in that action." Jean-Claude replied with a nod.

Harry simply waved at Hermione.

"The Grand Marshall and Sniper Sergeant Lovegood took down that entire operation by themselves." Harry replied. "Excuse me."

Harry turned and walked towards the refreshment table.

"Father." Janet said from behind her parents. "Lord Potter left out one crucial piece of information."

"And what would that be, sweetheart." Jean-Claude asked.

Janet met Hermione's eyes as she spoke.

"Lady Granger freed those children while rescuing Lord Potter from organisation four on the European Terrorist Watch List." Janet replied.

Janet turned and walked away.

"And after that he asked Janet to this Ball?" Stephanie replied.

"No, Lady Renault." Hermione replied. "Your daughter asked Lord Potter to this ball."

Jean-Claude and Stephanie silently contemplated this for a while. They looked over and saw Champion Fleur Delacour asking Harry for a dance.

"Lord Potter seems very popular." Stephanie observed.

"Yes, my brother is."

Lord and Lady Renault turned at the new voice, but Hermione did not.

"Lord and Lady Renault, may I introduce Kate West." Hermione said. "Kate was with Harry in the incident your daughter spoke about."

"We all just want to protect him. While we can." Kate said.

"What do you mean?" Jean-Claude asked.

Hermione simply sighed and began to explain.

TBC…


	29. Chapter 28

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

AN: Fair warning, there is a lot of dialog in this chapter, but there was no way around it. The conversation is something I have had in mind since back around chapter 2. I hope you like it.

* * *

Hermione sat only in a pair of thong panties in the Ruling Lady accommodations that she had been provided. Her Evening Dress Uniform was hanging over the door to the wardrobe, with the Circlet of Eastern Reach resting on the work table. It was almost eight am on Christmas morning, but she had not slept from the Ball yet. The Ball itself had lasted until three am and she had stayed till the last guest was gone, and afterwards she had returned to her quarters, removed the dress and circlet, sat on the couch and not moved since, lost in memories.

It had been hard wearing that dress again, she shared a long, and at times painful, history with it but the formal nature of the event had required it. Duty before everything else. And her first duty was to Harry.

Her eyes went to the dress and a single tear rolled down her cheek. The dress had been with her, in one form or another for almost her entire life. For the last few thousand years it had been her Evening Dress Uniform. For countless victory celebrations, formal functions and at least three ambushes with deadly fights she had worn the dress, with the rank insignia and sword.

Centuries before the formation of the Order, she had worn another version of that dress, with thinner, crossing back straps and the skirt lower on the right leg. That incarnation had been in a deep Mangath Blue, and she had worn the circlet for the first time, on the day she had gone from being the Premier of Mangath and was crowned Empress of the Eastern Reach.

The coronation dress itself was almost an exact replica of a much older dress, the major exception being the colour. During the ball Hermione had danced exactly once, her one dance with Harry. They had danced before to the song she had arranged to be played, danced in the original dress that had inspired all the others. That had been an emotional dance for Hermione. She remembered every moment of the day that they had danced that dance. On that day the dress had been white and she had made the single most important vow of her life. It had been the day she had married Harry and the song had been the music to their first dance as husband and wife.

Shaking herself from her memories, Hermione got dressed in her working uniform, gathered up the Christmas presents for her Gryffindor friends and made her way out into the Common Room.

* * *

Harry was having a great Christmas morning. He had left the Ball at a little after one, escorting Janet back to the Ravenclaw Common Room, where she had given him a kiss on the cheek and said that she had a good night. Afterwards he had slept well, with only one nightmare about his captivity. At five am he was awake and down in the common room. For the first time in his years at Hogwarts Christmas presents were being hand delivered rather than delivered in a pile by the House Elves, as almost everyone was still at Hogwarts rather than at home.

Presents were exchanged as people came down from their dorms. Katie Bell had come down early and had given him a book on Seeker tactics, and he had given her a broom maintenance kit, the same present he had given the other two Gryffindor Chasers. Alicia had gotten him a new pair of dragon hide Quidditch gloves, while Angelina, always the provocative one, had gotten him a hardened Dragon hide Box, with the comment that she had to guess his size.

For Ron and the Twins, Harry had gotten them pendants that were made from chips of the gateway they had used for cover during the Battle of the Word Cup. Ron had gotten him a knife while the twins had given him some of their experimental, concealable weapons.

Just before eight Kate West entered the Gryffindor Common room, just as Harry had asked her the night before. Harry had spent a lot of time arranging Kate's present, even getting the assistance of Sirius. When he handed her the envelope, Kate looked a bit sceptical, but when she opened and read what was inside, she jumped up, gave Harry a huge hug and kissed him on the mouth.

Hermione's entrance into the Common Room was announced by a gasp, and the clatter of presents falling to the floor. For a second, a look of hurt crossed her face, then her Order mask snapped into place and she turned on her heel and left the Common Room.

* * *

Hermione was devastated. Oh sure, she had promised herself that of Harry fell in love with another that she would let him have his happiness, and she would. It didn't mean that she was overjoyed when it happened right in front of her. Especially not after the emotion of last night, and that dance. Luckily there were very few people out and about at this time on Christmas morning, because she was striding through the halls not watching where she was going and would have walked right through someone. She heard the footsteps trying to catch up with her, and she started walking faster, but the broke into a run.

Finally fed up, she spun around and lashed out with a fist. Harry deflected the punch in a move she had taught him, and countered with a move that tried to secure her arms.

"Hermione, what's going on?" Harry asked.

A quick move freed her arms and for a second Hermione seriously considered hurting Harry, as payback for the way he unknowingly hurt her, but this was Harry.

"None of your business, Staff Sergeant. You are dismissed." She snapped.

"Oh no. You do not get to pull the CO card, not this time." Harry shot back. "Talk to me Hermione. You are my friend, or at least you used to be."

"Used to be." Hermione half whispered in shock. "Am I not good enough for you any more, Potter?"

Harry's eyes shot wide.

"I did not deserve that." Harry said slowly, barely containing his anger. "Not after everything I have done and suffered for you. If we are not friends anymore it is because you don't act like it, Granger. Or should I say, Grand Marshall."

"Fine, you don't like it, the leave. You can take West, go live somewhere is peace and raise a brood of kids. You two have been all over each other since I risked my life to rescue you, so go and have a safe life while I take care of every bastard who is trying to kill you." Hermione shot back.

"Kate?! What the hell makes you think I like Kate?" Harry said in genuine surprise.

"Ten minutes ago. Common Room. Kiss. Ringing any bells?" she replied sarcastically

"So not what you think it is." Harry replied, blushing.

"So enlighten me. Is it just practice or something?" Hermione said, venom dripping from her voice.

"Christ Hermione, for a genius sometimes you can be so bloody stupid. I just adopted her as my god damn sister, ok?" Harry replied sadly, stopping Hermione in her tracks. "Neither of us have any real family, except Sirius, and the things she did to keep me safe in…. Now she is formally Lady Kate West-Potter of House Potter. If I die without children then Kate and any kids she have will inherit."

"If that's what you've been planning, then why have you been so distant? And I don't mean after. Even before you were distant from me, Ron, Neville, the whole Order. You have always been fine on duty, but off duty…" Hermione trailed off, not sure how to articulate what she meant.

"Because I figured it out." Harry replied, making Hermione's heart skip a beat. "I figured out how much of a burden I was to you in the last timeline."

"Burden? We rallied around you, you defeated Voldemort. You were never a burden." She said, confusion crossing her face.

"Sure, so you say, but what was the cost. You took care of me afterwards. So was it physical or mental? Was I a cripple or a vegetable? Was I able feed myself? Whip my ass? Did I know anything of what went on around me?"

Hermione could see the anguish in his face, hear it in his voice, feel it in his eyes. He honestly believed that he had been a burden, a handicap that had been a drain on his friends and it rendered her momentarily speechless.

"You know what, I hope I was mentally disabled. I don't think I could have dealt with it otherwise. You having to give up so much to care for me. You spending time with him." Harry said dejectedly.

"Him?" she asked, confused.

"Your husband. Every day I wonder who he was, will be, whatever. I ask myself every time I see you talk to some guy if he is the lucky one who marries you. Or is it someone else. Just tell me it isn't Draco."

"It isn't Draco." Hermione assured him, seeing the desperation in his eyes.

"I couldn't stand it if Draco was married to the girl I love…" Harry said, before clamping his hands over his mouth.

"You love me?" Hermione asked, her heart soaring.

"Oh well, Knezle's out of the bag. Yeah I love you, always have. That's why I hate that I was such a burden on you. That I stopped you living your life." Harry replied.

"Harry, you were never a burden. I have only loved one person in my life, my husband." She said, thinking of a way to explain. "Oh damn it, there's only one way to prove it to you. Expecto Patonum."

Hermione saw Harry stare as she conjured her Patronus. The silver warrior in full plate armour with sword and shield appeared next to Hermione, facing the pair.

"Harry, my Patronus is special not only because it is human formed. It is my Husband. The man I have loved for ten thousand years." Hermione said.

She stared at the silver warrior for a moment and then nodded. The warrior sheathed its sword, then raised the visor on its helmet. Harry stared into the eyes of the silver warrior, eyes that on a real person would be green. His own eyes.

"I did not take care of you because you were injured or sick. I spent the most glorious decade of my life at your side, as your wife. We live, loved, fought, made up. We were about to have a child when you and the baby were both torn from me." Hermione whispered, just loud enough for Harry to hear.

Harry's legs just dropped out from underneath him as he went into shock. He had been jealous of… himself?

* * *

"Great. We finally tell the kid and he goes into shock." The Grand Marshall said, standing at the holographic table in the middle of the mindscape.

"He has a lot to process." Young Hermione Granger said from the library area. "So what are we going to do?"

"What we have been doing for the last ten thousand years." Hermione Potter replied. "We will wait for him."

TBC…


	30. Chapter 29

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

A/N: Another chapter with a lot of dialogue

* * *

Kate West-Potter sat in the compartment of the Hogwarts Express as it travelled back to London, looking across at her now official brother. The Express was only half full, a lot of students staying at Hogwarts for the rest of the holidays rather than head home for a short break. They had forgone trunks for this journey, their gear instead stowed in Duffle Bags under their seats, and Harry had sent Hedwig on ahead.

The scenery outside the window had changed from rolling countryside to the urban sprawl around London. Harry had spent the entire trip in silence, as had Kate. Most people think that nothing is communicated by silence, but they are wrong. In fact, on occasion, more can be conveyed through silence that through speech and Kate was an expert on reading Harry's silences. An expertise born out of shared suffering. She knew his contemplative silences, his hurt and in need of comfort silences and even his 'I need you to just sit with me' silences. This however was an 'I am confused and need to think' silence combined with an 'I just don't know what to do' silence. Hers was a simple 'I'm here when you need me' silence.

The train pulled in and they disembarked, their duffle's thrown over one shoulder as they made their way through the crowd. Even though they were dressed in Muggle civilian clothing, the crowd parted to let them through as everyone on the train knew who they were, and even the Slytherins did not object due to self preservation instincts and the absence of inflammatory personalities like Malfoy.

They emerged into the Muggle side of Kings Cross station, walking calmly along the platform. They saw an SAS Private who had been on the mission with them, waiting for a train with a bunch of his buddies who were in different units, some SAS, some not. The Private saw them and promptly snapped to attention and saluted. The returned the salute without breaking stride and the Private's mates gathered around asking who they were.

Harry hailed a cab which took them back to his Apartment. The apartment had a large living/dining room, a fully stocked kitchen, a bathroom and three bedrooms.

"This is you." Harry said, indicating to the second bedroom, the one Hermione had not been in when she had been injured. "You can use this place whenever you like, or if you prefer any of the other properties."

Het turned to leave, to let her unpack.

"You ready to talk yet?" she asked, barely audible.

"Not just yet. And when I am I want Sirius there too." Harry replied, not turning to face her.

After a heartbeat's pause he continued out of the room and Kate turned to unpack.

* * *

"Are you all fucking stupid?!" Hermione screamed at the four Wizards and one Witch sitting around the table.

Madam Maxime and Headmaster Karkaroff sat down one side of the table. Crouch and Bagman down the other, while Hermione, in full formal Order Uniform with sword and pistol at her waist, and Dumbledore sat at the ends of the table.

"Now I don't think…." Dumbledore began before being interrupted.

"Shut the hell up, or I'll fire your bony ass." Hermione cut him off. "The first task was bad enough, importing Nesting Dragon mothers onto MY School without my permission, but at least the crowd was able to see the task. Why the hell are you having the spectators staring at the Black Lake for an hour? They will be bored out of their minds. As for having Hostages, whose hair brained idea was that? Especially Gabrielle Delacour. Vela are Fire Elementals. It's bad enough putting Champion Delacour in the lake for an hour, but a ten year old Vela, particularly in the hands of the Mermaids. You'd be lucky if she was still alive, and if she was she probably would be driven insane."

"We can't change it now. They have the clue." Bagman said.

"Sure you can, just tell them the clues no longer apply and give them a new clue. There would be no unfair advantage." Hermione replied.

"I suggest we adjourn for now." Crouch said. "I have a meeting back at the Ministry. I suggest we all consider a possible alternative task before the next meeting."

Everyone stood up and left except for Hermione and Dumbledore. With a follow me gesture, the Grand Marshall left the conference room and led the Headmaster back to his office, where all of the other staff were assembled. With a quick wave of her wand, she conjured a throne like chair and sat down.

"We are here to discuss some changes in staffing and Curriculum for next year." Hermione announced. "These changes are going to improve the school and are not negotiable."

Dumbledore sat down in his chair behind his desk with a carefully neutral face. Snape lurked in a corner, McGonagall stood with one elbow resiting on the mantelpiece over the fireplace. The other teachers were scatter around the room, some seated on conjured chairs and others standing.

"Firstly, Professor Snape." Hermione said, earning a glare from the greasy haired man. "I am scaling back your teaching responsibility. As of next year, you will only be teaching fifth to seventh year. Of the fifth years, you will only be teaching those students who are looking to go for NEWTS in Potions. Another Potions master will be brought in to teach first to fourth years and the remaining fifth years. You will also be the resident Potions Master, as Madam Pomfrey has been complaining how the Potion supplies for the Hospital Wing have been getting more expensive."

Snape nodded his head, for once without a scowl or sneer on his face. Madam Pomfrey looked relieved as well.

"Madam Pomfrey, you will also start teaching duties as well. I have selected three Order Members and you will consult with Professors Snape and Flitwick to select a few students to undergo medic training. It will not be full Healer training but basic fist aid." Hermione continued.

"Are you expecting some kind of war?" Professor Vector asked.

"Always." Hermione replied. "Next is Muggle Studies."

"I am taking an early retirement." The Muggle Studies teacher said. "I am shamed to admit that I know next to nothing about the current Muggle world."

"I am restructuring the Muggle Studies course and introducing a new course. Both Muggle Studies and the new course, Wizarding Culture, will now be required courses." Hermione announced.

"Muggle studies for the Purebloods and Wizarding Culture for the Muggle-Borns?" McGonagall asked.

"No. Both will be compulsory to all students." Hermione replied. "Like I said, I am restructuring the Muggle Studies course. A toaster will no longer be the subject of an entire week's lesson. It will now be what Muggles learn in school. Maths, Science, History, English. This will allow Wizards and Witches to blend into Muggle culture when they go into the Muggle World. It is unacceptable that the current Ministry Muggle expert does not know the difference between a Double A Battery and a Shotgun shell."

"And the Wizarding Culture class?" Dumbledore asked. "Why do the Purebloods have to take this course? They grew up in the Culture."

"So that is why Draco Malfoy and Susan Bones are the best of friends? Or Angelina Johnson and Luna Lovegood?" Hermione replied sarcastically. "Most of them don't know about the origins and evolution of Wizarding Culture. Most of them are either entitled brats who expect everything on a silver platter or think Wizarding culture is made up of solely of Diagon Alley and Hogwarts."

Next Hermione turned to the Astronomy curriculum and the meeting continued for several hours.

* * *

"Kate!" Harry said, as he lifted the lid off the pasta sauce, gave it a stir and then tapped the spoon on the rim and replaced the lid.

Almost a week of doing almost nothing had been a great boon for Harry and had allowed him to both unwind and begin to process his feelings over what had happened.

"Kate!" Harry repeated, moving out of the kitchen and into the hallway.

"What?" Kate asked, emerging from the bathroom naked, drying her hair with a towel.

"They're going to be here in a few minutes." Harry replied. "Move your ass."

He gave her a playful swat on her naked ass as he passed, getting her moving into her room. The door bell rang.

"They're here." He called through her now closed door.

He opened the front door to Sirius and Mary, who both gave him a hug.

"Happy New Years Eve, Pup." Sirius said.

"Come on in." Harry replied. "Welcome to my humble abode Miss Williams."

"Harry, please. Call me Mary." She replied.

"So, where's that sister of yours?" Sirius asked with a sly grin.

"She's still getting dressed." Harry replied.

"Here I am." Kate said, emerging in casual pair of jeans and a blouse.

The next hour was taken up with small talk, nibbles and then dinner. After dinner, they moved into the lounge room, with Sirius and Mary sitting on the couch, while Harry and Kate took the recliners.

"So… you said you wanted to talk?" Sirius said, sipping on an after dinner coffee.

"Yes." Harry said, running a hand through his hair. "I'm confused, a bit angry and hurt and I'm not really sure why."

Kate leaned forward on her chair, offering him some silent support.

"It all started on Christmas Day." Harry began, explaining the argument he had with Hermione.

"So, she finally told you." Sirius said, leaning back in his chair.

"You knew?!" Harry said angrily.

"Yes, Hermione told me last Christmas when were at her parents' place." Sirius replied.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry shot back.

"Because it was said in confidence. And I happened to agree with why she did not tell you." His Godfather replied. "The reason she did not tell you until you admitted your feeling is because she did not want you to get hurt, or feel forced into a relationship with her because of what happened last time around. She loved you so much that she placed your happiness before her own. It is a hard thing to do."

"How do you know?" Harry said, concerned and confused.

"Because I did it." Sirius replied. "But she is lucky. You love her too. I was not so lucky."

Marry put her arm around Sirius' shoulders in comfort.

"She reject you?" Kate asked

"No. She never even noticed me. She fell in love with my best friend, then I failed to protect her and she died." Sirius admitted, a tear running down his cheek.

Silence fell over the room for a few minutes.

"It was my mum, wasn't it?" Harry asked, quietly.

Sirius just nodded.

"I have loved two women in my life." The older man said. "I failed the first. I won't make the same mistake again."

"That," Mary added, "Is my loveable mutts' way of saying that we are getting married."

"Congratulations." Kate said.

Harry was still confused, but he felt less angry at Hermione. He still had to think, but for the first time he also dared to hope.

TBC…


	31. Chapter 30

Title: Code of the Griffin

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.

* * *

The figures swarmed up upon her, everyone of the demanding Hermione's attention. And every one of them dead. A part of her mind knew this was a dream, but that small part was helpless against the tide of the dream. There were thousands of the dead, all from the future and battles of the Grand Marshall.

"We died for you." William Malfoy said, blood dripping from the gaping wound in the chest plate of his Slytherin armour.

"We suffered for you." Jenny Weasley said, her red hair a sodden, bloodstained mess and her right leg missing.

"You did it all for him." Sergeant Wilks said, her face and body torn, bloody and barely recognisable from the artillery shelling she had called down on herself to stop an entire army group from being overwhelmed.

"And he rejected you." A voice said from behind her.

Her heart clenched at that voice, the pain, the hatred, the loathing, the disappointment. She turned and faced the owner of that voice.

"He has not rejected me." She replied, trying to sound confident and failing, her voice breaking half way through. "You… you didn't."

Hermione collapsed to the ground and stared up at the man with the hole in his chest. The warrior who never wore a uniform. Her Harry, who looked down on her with scorn.

* * *

Hermione jerked awake, sitting strait up in her bed, eyes darting around for the spectres of the dead. After a second she flopped back down onto the large bed, her breath raged and her hear pounding a mile a minute.

Things had been hectic in the week since Christmas. The only thing that had run smoothly was the security of the Castle, with the Order being its usual efficient self, but everything else had seemed to be in crisis mode, even ignoring the Harry situation.

The holdings for House Gryffindor, most held through subsidiaries and holding companies, had suffered several setbacks. One company's stocks had plummeted, another was on the receiving end of an attempted hostile takeover, and another group of companies were the subject of sabotage.

The Hogwarts front was not faring any better. There were still some major staffing and curriculum issues for next year that had to be sorted out soon. The Revamped Muggle Studies and Wizarding Culture classes were settled, but the other classes were proving more difficult.

Hermione had to bring in a second Care for Magical Creatures Professor and restricted Hagrid to NEWT level classes, and after shifting through seventeen candidates had finally found a suitable Professor who would teach the younger students about less dangerous creatures.

Divination had now become a specialised course for those who showed signs of being a seer and was no longer eligible as a standard elective (which effectively shut down the course but keep the dubious Professor, who had nowhere else to go, on just in case), which of course meant that all students currently taking divination would have to take another elective and have to scramble to keep up or the professors would have to run a two tired class.

The new Potions Professor's post had over two hundred applicants. Professor Snape had gone through the applicants and culled seventy five that did not have enough Potions credentials or had bad reputations and was currently working on producing a shot list that both Snape and Hermione would review and possibly interview.

History of Magic was a nightmare. Every student at Hogwarts for the last three hundred years had been taught by Binns, so there were only four published Magical Historians in Great Brittan that had not been taught by the Ghost, and they were all rubbish. Hermione had been forced to send out feelers to the Continent to try and get a decent teacher.

As for the ever perilous Defence Against the Dark Arts, the real Professor Moody had made it clear that he was only staying the one year. As for applicants…. There were none. In desperation, Hermione had called in a few favours and had arranged for Bill Weasley, a noted Curse Breaker, to come and have a look to see if there was a curse on the position or offices or anything. After that she would probably have to call in some more favours to get someone to fill the position.

And then there was the TriWizard Tournament. Four meeting over the last week and no progress. She had gotten them to agree to scrap the Lake task, but no one had any ideas on what to replace it with. She had been shocked to learn that it had taken four months of meetings to come up with the original three tasks. Hermione had her own idea for the task but needed to sort out a few details before she presented it to those idiots.

Rolling out of bed, her bare feet hit the carpet of her Quarters, and she stretched her naked body as she moved past the library and weapons cases to the wardrobe and got dressed in PT gear. She made her way out of her Quarters, down the corridor to the Gym.

There were a number of Order members who were off duty and using the Gym. The weights machines, treadmills and punching bags were all in use. Two members were sparing in the ring with several watching and waiting for turns.

"Who's up next?" Hermione asked.

"Me." Kathryn Li replied. "I'm supposed to face the winner."

"Well, you will be facing me now." Hermione replied.

A mummer went through the onlookers. Hermione and Kathryn were known as the two most lethal members of the Order, but they had not sparred against each other yet. The two sparring in the ring finished up, allowing Kathryn and Hermione to enter the ring. They put on light gloves, designed more for mixed martial arts than boxing, and headgear.

"No holds barred." Hermione said before slipping in her mouthguard.

Kathryn nodded. The bell rang and Kathryn lead with a spin kick, which Hermione ducked under and the delivered a solid right hook to Kathryn's gut, the punch intensified by motion of Kathryn's kick. Kathryn retaliated with a downward elbow blow to Hermione's back.

The fight was on.

* * *

The operative knew his cover had been compromised, but this information was just too important. He walked down the street as if he was simply running errands as part of his normal day. He was certain that although they knew he was a plant, they did not know who he was really working for. He had covered his drops well, having visited seven small shops in the last three hours, and was approaching an eighth. Of those eight stores, three were just that, simple stores. Two had been his assigned drop points, and the other three had been drop points for rival covert surveillance operations. For those three he had sent two coded, in their own ciphers, recipes for the world's hottest curries, and the third was a ream of dirty limericks.

Having finished visiting the stores, and hoping the information sped its way through the circuitous routs of his drops, he headed back to his cover's apartment. Once he reached the apartment, he sat down in a chair facing the door, but off to the side so they did have a strait shot at him from the hallway. He waited with a glass of scotch on the table beside him, the pistol his cover identity had been issued resting gently on one armrest of the chair and his wand in the other hand.

When they came for him four hours later, he put up a good fight killing one and wounding three others. He did not expect to win, but that was not the point. He fought so that they were forced to kill him.

'My secrets die with me.' Was his last thought as a spray of bullets ripped him apart like tissue paper.

* * *

The Dowager Augusta Longbottom was known to be a hard woman, many describing her as bitter and aloof. She looked out on the well manicured lawns that surrounded Longbottom Manor, watching her grandson on the lawn doing his morning exercises, with her face impassive.

The truth was she had lived a long and hard life, but she did have a loving side. She had spent almost thirty years as an Auror in the wartime and post Grindlewald era, one of the rare times where the Magical and Muggle worlds had mirrored one and other. In the Muggle world it was called the Cold War, in the Magical it was called the Reconstitution. Both worlds had just emerged from a massive and devastating war and was now faced with hostile blocks of what used to be allies staring at each other across new boarders and wondering if another war was about to start.

For her first ten years as an Auror, Augusta Churchill, distant magical cousin to the wartime Prime Minister, had been fighting the war and then clearing out remaining cells of Grindlewald supporters throughout Magical England in a through and, at times bloody, purge. It was during those years that she had met the love of her life, a fellow Auror by the name of Joseph Longbottom. Within two years of meeting, the young couple were married. In 1947, Augusta had been trained as an undercover agent and was deployed to Eastern Europe as a spy. She was instrumental in foiling several foreign plots to destabilise Magical, and Muggle, England.

In 1955, she returned to England, having requested the transfer back home after almost being caught in a compromised raid. For the next four years she was assigned to one of the Auror rapid response teams until, in 1959, she fell pregnant with her only child, Frank Longbottom. After Maternity leave, she returned to the Auror office as the Auror in charge of Training. She had trained a number of the most famous Aurors, including Alistair Moody and Amelia Bones. After the death of Joseph Longbottom in 1964, Augusta retired as an Auror. After her retirement her every action had been for her son, and later grandson. The proudest day of her life after her retirement was the day Frank had graduated as an Auror.

She watched as Neville did an unarmed combat routine, recognising some of the moves from her undercover work and noting that he had changed some of the moves to take advantage of the more power and durability of his artificial left arm. For almost thirteen years, she had despaired at the timid nature of her Grandson, until the Lady Gryffindor had recruited him for the Order. New she saw the best of Frank and her beloved Joseph in her grandson, and admired his persistence to continue even after the loss of his arm.

After the incident at the Quiddich World Cup, the parents and Guardians of the original members of the Order had met to discuss what had happened to their children. Xeno Lovegood was as always a bit odd, but he trusted his daughter. Amos Diggory was concerned, yet proud that not only had his son protected the innocent, but was in a position of authority. Augusta's old student Amelia Bones was also proud of her Niece, both in the way she fought and the sound tactics Susan had used in the battle. Arthur Weasley was ambivalent about his three son's involvement. On the one hand he was fascinated with the muggle equipment they had and relieved that the Twins were showing some responsibility. On the other hand he was worried about their safety and what possible mischief they could get up to with their new training and confidence.

Augusta watched as Neville finished his workout and, drying the sweat off with a towel, made his way back into the Manor. She walked down to greet him in the main hall.

TBC…


End file.
